Before the game many saw this as one of our hardest away games of the season. Today the Harriers visited Kenilworth Road to play Luton Town with 3rd playing 5th in the Blue Square Premier.
Matthew Barnes-Homer was up front for Luton Town against the club where he made his name. For the Harriers Callum Gittings replaced Nick Wright on the left of midfield and Tom Sharpe retained his place despite Lee Vaughan being fit again.
Lloyd Owusu was the man of the opening stages within seconds of kick off when he went down in the area. With calls for a penalty ringing out from the Luton fans, and the Harriers fans standing with hearts in their mouths expecting the worst, the referee, Rob Whitton, deceived everyone by booking Owusu for diving. A minute later the same player then proceeded to hit a firm shot towards Danny Lewis' right hand post but he got a good hand on to keep it out of the goal.
Harriers had a chance to score but Michael Briscoe's header across the face of goal following Tom Shaw's free kick was deemed to be offside anyway. Then following good work by Matty Blair on the right hand side he whipped a cross in that Gittings could only head the ball straight at Mark Tyler in the Luton goal.
Gittings was made to rue that chance seconds later when Barnes-Homer rattled in one of the best finishes of the season, and in years, possibly the best I've seen in seven years of watching the Harriers. He ran down the right hand side into the area, Briscoe put a solid challenge in but the ball bobbled free to be controlled again by Barnes-Homer who, with the angle as tight as it would go, hammered a shot goalwards from about eight yards out that flew into the top of the net then proceeded to hit the far post and come back to Lewis. At first the linesman flagged for a 'no goal' but after a quick consultation the referee awarded it and rightly so. With the angle and the power it was a great finish by the former Harriers hero.
Harriers almost got a goal back through Sean Canham after Mark Albrighton's shot was deflected by him onto Tyler's bar and away to safety. Two more chances for Luton via Owusu and Barnes-Homer saw the Harriers go into the break a goal down but still in the game.