Saturday, December 21, 2002

TWO cracking goals from Sean Parrish and John Melligan gave Kidderminster Harriers an early Christmas present with a 2-0 Nationwide League Division Three victory over Wrexham at The Racecourse Ground on Saturday.

It was Harriers' first league win since their previous visit to Wales when they crushed struggling Swansea City 4-0 on October 29.

The well deserved victory delighted Aggborough boss Ian Britton, who said: "I thought we deserved it. We started well which makes a change and we carried it through. I thought the first-half we dominated and we could have maybe had three or four goals.

"Wrexham are a good side, but we haven't got to fear anybody is this league if we compete and do well."

Wrexham, however, contributed to their own downfall when midfielder Darren Ferguson was sent off in the 63rd minute following an ugly clash with Melligan.

The incident sparked a brief free-for-all involving several players before order was restored to enable Kidderminster to end Wrexham's run of six games without defeat.

A first-half which never reached any great heights was brightened when Parrish broke the deadlock with a perfectly struck 20-yard volley.

The Wrexham-born midfielder said: "We knew it was going to be hard as they are a good footballing side. The last six or seven games we haven't started right, but this time we did and we've got the three points.

"In the second-half we had a dodgy spell and they came into it and put us under a lot of pressure. But we stuck at it and got the second goal which took the pressure off.

"The gaffer said it was going to be one of the biggest tests of the season and to come away with three points sets us up for the Christmas period."

Before Parrish found the net Wrexham had a Paul Barrett shot slam against the post.

Following Ferguson's sending off Harriers had to withstand a spell of pressure with goalkeeper Stuart Brock pulling off excellent saves to deny Andy Morrell and Brian Carey. He also did well in the first-half to stop a fierce shot from Morrell.

Tenth-placed Kidderminster, however, sealed their fifth away league win of the season when on-loan Melligan unleashed a 25-yard pile-driver which gave goalkeeper Kristian Rogers no hope of saving.