The Harriers make what could be their first ever visit to Salisbury tomorrow for a game against a club that have surprised everyone by starting the season so well.

Salisbury, who finished second to Histon in the Conference South last season, are now enjoying their first season in the top division of non league football and are in sixth place at the time of writing with an un-beaten home record and just four goals conceded.

They are reputedly a tough team to beat and have a few big blokes in their ranks.    They also have an un-compromising attitude and so have picked up more than their share of cards.

Danny Clay picked up a red card late in the game at Oxford, a game they lost 2-1, following a two footed tackle on the former Hereford player Alex Jeannin.    They have only just had Mike Fowler return to the side after he was red carded against Rushden three weeks ago in a fiery game that also saw the Diamonds manager Gary Hill involved in a fight with the City coach Tommy Widdrington.

City could be without Andy Sandell and Jon Bass who both picked up injuries at Oxford and will also be waiting for a fitness test on Matt Robinson after suffering a groin injury prior to the game.

We too had a player pick up a red card recently and Gavin Hurren will be serving the second week of his three game ban.    Iyseden Christie will also miss the game due to his hamstring injury not having healed yet.

There are still doubts over Scott Bevan too with his groin injury and he'll face a fitness test before the game.    If he fails that test then Calamity Chris MacKenzie will again be between the sticks because of the injury to our second string keeper Dean Coleman.

MacKenzie will be hoping for a much improved performance after his terrible debut for us against Torquay last Saturday.    He didn't look too confident in front of a suspect defence and, in turn, the defence weren't too confident in front of a suspect keeper.

Sorry to say but MacKenzie will go down in Harriers folklore for all the wrong reasons following last Saturday.

It's imperative that we do something about our suspect defence by tomorrow after now letting in five goals in five different games so far this season.    We were once renowned for being a tough side to score against but also for being unable to find the net on a regular basis.

This has now been turned on it's head and up front James Constable is on fire and knocking in the goals for fun with able support from Justin Richards in making the goals.    If only Richards could score a few more for himself then we needn't worry about our leaky defence.

Salisbury, with two ex Harriers in Ryan Clarke and Jon Beswetherick, will be a tough nut to crack but not impossible.    We have to be equally tough defensively and I'm sure that Beano will come up with the goods again.

I'm still going for a draw though.


Harriers from:
Bevan, Coleman, MacKenzie, Harkness, Kenna, Bignot, Creighton, Whitehead, Munday, McGrath, Ferrell, Bennett, Russell, Penn, Richards, Blackwood, Barnes-Homer, Smikle, Constable.

Salisbury City from:
R Clarke, Bittner, Bass, Robinson, Cook, Bond, Fowler, Bartlett, Tubbs, Prince, Browne, Widdrington, Brown, Matthews, D Clarke, Feeney, Knight, Barron, Weedon, Barnes, Herring, Eastham, Sandell, Oliver