KIDDERMINSTER Harriers boss Steve Burr believes the club’s fans have a major part to play in helping the team maintain their promotion push.

The Aggborough outfit are second in the Skrill Premier following Tuesday’s 4-1 thrashing of local rivals and pre-season title-favourites Forest Green Rovers.

As well as a much improved performance, Burr felt the vociferous crowd of 2,244 helped lift the players to their first win in three matches, and even compared them to Real Madrid’s following.

Harriers travel to Southport today (3pm) but Burr will look for the home fans to be out in force again when they return to Aggborough to face Lincoln City next weekend.

The Kidderminster manager said: “The atmosphere from the crowd was absolutely fantastic. I think they were as noisey as I’ve ever heard them. It was great to see them bouncing up and down behind the goal — it was like something from the Bernabéu.”

The Forest Green game attracted the third highest attendance at Aggborough this season, only bettered by the 2,866 against Luton and 2,283 against Chester, both in August.

It is also no coincidence the better gates have come when Harriers are getting the results on the pitch.

By comparison, they only pulled in one crowd in excess of 2,000 during the first two months of last season — 2,275 against Luton — but also went without a win for their first 10 games before going on to finish runners-up.