This game was going to be a lose lose situation for the ex Harriers manager, Ian Britton, right from the start.  Even before the team had left for Swansea the ball had started rolling.

Apart from the continual calls for his dismissal on the message boards came the news that the board had blocked the other two signings that Brit intended to make during last week.  Todays Man of the Match, Wayne Hatswell, had already arrived from Chester City, probably paid for with money from the clubs majority shareholder.

Then came the press release in the Express & Star at lunch time that Jan Molby was on his way back.  Yes, it was a press release because it contained quotes from Colin Youngjohns.  Was CY pushed into it by person or persons unknown.  Yes, undoubtedly.

If we had lost this one by the score that had been expected then it would have been an easy task for CY to tell Brit that his time was up.  As it was we managed to gain a point but it still wasn't enough.  Would a 6-1 win in our favour have been enough?


To make way for Hatswell Adam Willis found himself on the bench again and surprisingly a recall for Dean Bennett and Sean Parrish.  John Williams played a lone striking? role upfront and there was no place for Matt Lewis who didn't even make it to the bench!!

In what was an uneventful first half there was an early adjustment to the line up when Scott Stamps limped off to be replaced by Craig Hinton.  Stamps had been taken out by Jenkins with a bone jarring tackle but referee Danson didn't see that as a bookable offence.

Shortly after Hatswell, thinking what's good for one is good for the other, set his store out with a similar type of challenge on Maylett.  Danson didn't like that one and stuck him in the book.

With the Harriers defence looking tight and Swansea without the strangely named Magic Daps, whatever that means, JJ Melligan went close to opening the scoring but his shot just curled wide.

The closest Swansea came to scoring was when a header from John Rose missed the target completely.

At the start of the second half the Harriers went on the offensive with JJ firstly forcing Freestone into a save and again a few minutes later when his volley went just over the bar.

In defence we were still strong and Kenny Coleman managed to get in a last minute tackle on Kevin Nugent just as he was about to strike.   Back at the other end and the same man was in unsuccessful calls for a penalty when he was upended on the edge of the penalty area.  In a position tailor made for the free kick wizard Danny Williams he struck the ball with his usual venom only to see it come back off the Swansea wall.

With time running out the Swansea fans were getting restless and they started to berate their side.  This from fans with a team at the top of the table.  They must be hard to please down there.

They came close to opening the scoring when Nugent hit the foot of the post from eight yards out and Wilson sent the returning ball way over the bar.

In the final minute it could have been all three points for us when former Swansea favourite John Williams latched onto a loose ball just outside the penalty area.  His goal bound shot was brilliantly palmed away by keeper Roger Freestone to leave both sides settling for a point.

A hard worked point for us then but as events were to prove later on it was all too late for Ian Britton.