The Harriers kicked off the new season at our old mates, Rushden, in soaring temperatures more akin to the Bahamas than Britain.  With a decent referee, for once, allowing the players plenty of drink breaks it was never going to be end to end stuff but what was served up looked good.

A team that was unrecognisable from the end of last season took time to get into their stride with, on many occasions, Rushden seeming able to get behind the defence too easily at times.  By the second half that had been addressed and we could have stolen the game in the dying minutes.

A surprise omission from the starting line-up was Dean Keates, dropped to make way for deadline loan signing Adi Viveash, back for his second spell at the club.  Jan obviously wanted a more defence minded operation today and, like the curates egg, it was good in parts.

It's in the parts that are not so good where the opposition goals come from.  They were being shown up at will by the two Rushden wide boys, Bell and Burgess.  Luckily for us some last ditch tackles and some good keeping by Danby kept them out

Out of the new boys Freddy Advice and Youssou Diop both struggled to get a grip on their roles and Mick Mellon made a few mistakes at the start of the game but then got into it more and more.

Young Chris McHale looked pretty good for a rookie and in time will be an asset to the team.  I was surprised to see him playing today.  I thought Jan would have blooded him a bit more gradually.

We went close to scoring on a couple of occasions, once from a free kick after Freddy Advice was tumbled on the edge of the area, but it wasn't until the second half did we really look like it.

The first ten minutes of the new half was a repeat of the first half with the waterboy making an appearance almost as soon has it started.  Harriers fans favourite, the Rushden keeper Billy Turley, was down at our end now and he had his usual welcome from us but took it all in good nature.

We started to put a bit more pressure on the Diamonds without making any real breakthrough until Jan started making some changes.  First he bought on Scott Rickards for Diop and then in quick succession Simon Russell and Dean Keates for Freddy Advice and Mickey Mellon.

Small appreciation for Turley here because when Freddy went down with cramp it was the much abused Turley who tried to relieve him of his pain.  Top man.

With Keates and Rickards on we looked more dangerous and we were now supplying Jesper with a bit more service but his luck, or his lack of alertness, let him down yet again

Wayne Hatswell almost got the goal that mattered when he latched onto a rebound from Steve Burtons corner and his hammerhead drive cannoned off Connelly and then cleared to safety by the Rushden defenders.

The final few minutes was one way with the Harriers attacking continuously but it ended as a creditable draw and it all looks promising for Notts County on Tuesday evening.