Harriers give the Hayes a hammering

The Harriers racked up their best away win since Woking in 2008, and their best in the League all this season, with this trouncing of relegation bound Hayes & Yeading.  Steve Burr made a few enforced changes to the side that drew at Forest Green during the week by recalling Nick Wright to the attack in place of the injured Lee Morris and Tom Shaw returning into the midfield to allow Chris McPhee to join Wrighty up front.  Jamille Matt went to the bench along with Callum Gittings but Callum was soon called upon due to an early injury to Matty Blair.

The first chance of the game came the way of the Harriers skipper Keith Briggs but his shot was well held by the Hayes keeper Lee Harrison.  Matty Blair was the next to try his luck with a downward header that also tested Harrison to the limit.

That was Blairs last action in the game and he was subbed in the ninth minute by Gittings after picking up a knock.  The game then calmed down for a while with only a weak shot from the Hayes new signing, Jefferson Louis, that was easy for Danny Lewis to deal with.  Then came our first goal.

Tom Shaw, recalled to his favoured midfield rõle, collected the ball 25 yards from goal and let fly through the packed box and completely caught Lee Harrison by surprise.  That was Toms first goal since August when he scored against Mansfield Town at home.

Hayes responded with a strike from Louis that whizzed over the bar and then seconds after he raced into the box to met a cross but luckily for us the ball was blocked and cleared by Michael Briscoe.  Bradley Pritchard tried his luck next but shot wide from the edge of the box after being allowed to run into the box un-hindered.

The half ended with no further action.

If the first half was memorable for just the single goal then the second period would be remembered for the way the Harriers, or more so Chris McPhee, dismantled Hayes.  It started quietly at first with Lee Vaughan picking up his eighth booking of the season and one for the Hayes defender Jamie Hand.

Then McPhee made it three goals in three games for himself when he raced onto Keith Briggs high pass, ran past Charlie Wassmer and then finally lifted the ball over the keepers head.  He could have doubled his tally for the day just seconds later but he was bought down on the edge of the box just as he was about to burst goalwards.

He had another shot later in the game after Nick Wright failed to control the ball and it ran free for McPhee but his shot was deflected by a Hayes defender away for a corner.  He finally got the third goal, and a deserved second for him, when he latched onto Nick Wrights cross from the left and, with a quick dummy, sent his shot goalbound to more or less seal the three points for the Reds.

Those points were made sure of just minutes after Jack Byrne came on in place of Keith Briggs to tap home another subs, Jamille Matt, cross.

At last we got the kind of result and scoreline we'd been waiting for all season.  It's just a pity it didn't come against tougher opposition.

 Goals for Harriers: Shaw 32, McPhee 65, 78, Byrne 87

REFEREE:

Mr C Powell Dorset