Ruby Reid gets sent off as Harriers draw in Devon

The Harriers came back from St James Park, Exeter, today with a well deserved draw after seeing the on loan Reuben Reid sent off for an aggravated retaliation after Chris Todd fouled Reid in the City goalmouth.    Todd pushed Reid about for a good thirty seconds before the loanee from Plymouth moved his head towards Todd.

That was the signal the ref was waiting for all along and promptly red carded the youngster while Todd got off scott free and licence to carry on.

The game saw the debut of our latest loan signing.    Rob Davies, here for a month from the Baggies, took the place of Craig Nelthorpe who returned to Doncaster earlier in the week.    It was his pin-point cross that led to the Harriers taking an early lead when Russ Penn got a touch to the perfectly flighted ball and sent it past the City keeper in only the second minute of the game.

With that lead secure under their belts the Harriers should really have gone on to get a second but they sat back and let the home side back into the game.    The ex Hereford front man, Adam Stansfield, was the chief menace in City's attempts to equalise but Scott Bevan in the Harriers goal was not letting anything get past him.

Lee Phillips, who had only passed a pre-match fitness exam minutes earlier, was also a danger man after he saw a strong shot deflected past our upright.    In the twenty eighth minute the home side drew level through a former employee at Aggborough.

Phillips broke free and burst into the box but as he prepared to fire he missed the ball and it ran free for Billy Jones to stick his foot in the way and steer the ball past Scott Bevan.

It was now all City and the Harriers were hardly getting a look in.    Phillips found Stansfield inside the box but his shot was blocked by Stuart Whitehead and he followed up to send the rebound into the arms of the goalkeeper.

Ten minutes before the end of the half Lady Luck smiled on the Harriers when City were awarded a dubious penalty.    Russ Penn stuck a foot out to clear the ball away and it was that old boy again that fell over it - what was Jones doing that far up the pitch anyway?

The referee pointed to the spot and Billy stepped up to take it but his poorly struck kick was sent straight at Bevan and rebounded off the big keepers legs.    The ball was cleared to safety but in the scrum to get at it Mark Creighton came out with a yellow card.

City had one more chance to get a shot in before the half time whistle blew and that came from Jon Challinor when he struck the ball into the arms of Bevan from twenty five yards out.