The Harriers strikeforce don't strike again

For the third game in a row the Harriers have failed to hit the net and this lack of goals is becoming worrying.  The famine could be blamed on the departure of Matt Barnes-Homer to Luton Town but he has also failed to score, so far, for his new club anyway.  It could be blamed on the lack of understanding and incompatibility of Damian Spencer and Robbie Matthews or it could be just a bad spell the team are going through.

I would venture a guess that it's a mix of all three but whatever the reasons we need to get back into scoring mode very soon.

Luckily we haven't dropped down the table much because of this bad run but it won't be long if things don't improve and a big chance to get back on the scoring trail will come at Matlock Town next Saturday in the FA Trophy.

Mark Yates made two changes from the side that were held at home by Tamworth on Tuesday.  Matthews replaced Ryan Charles while Dean Bennett came back into midfield in place of John Finnigan.  Charles dropped to the bench and Finnigan was no where to be seen.

Second placed Stevenage hadn't been beaten at home for just over a year now and today was going to be no different.

We started off ok with chances coming the way of Matthews with a shot that flew over the bar and also one from Chris McPhee when he pounced on Scott Laird's poor back pass but his shot from the edge of the area went just wide of Chris Days post.

We went even closer to scoring soon after when David McDermott ran into the area and sent off a shot that had Day beaten but not the crossbar.  Ten minutes later a free kick from the livewire midfielder was placed perfectly for Damian Spencer to head goalwards but this time Day managed to get a hand to it and pushed it away to safety.

For the first twenty minutes of the game it had been all Harriers but following a header from Boro's Charlie Griffin that hit the post the home side started to regain control of the game.

From a free kick, conceded by birthday boy Martin Riley, Jon Ashton grabbed the first goal for his side.  Ronnie Henry took the kick and Ashton cleverly glanced the ball into the top corner of Dean Coleman's goal.