Harriers come from behind to beat Bath 4-1

Yet more emphatic finishing helped Harriers keep up with the 'play off pack' with this 4-1 victory against struggling Bath.

For the first time in months the 1,472 fans who braved the cold got to see a starting eleven close to a 'Strongest Team' but the Harriers failed to make this count in a slow start to a poor first half.  Kidderminster found themselves 1-0 down within six minutes to the side who had only scored nine goals away from home all season.

Predictably, perhaps, it came as an own goal.  Well that's how 99% of the crowd saw it but the record will show it as being scored by the Bath man.  A free kick was awarded to Bath on the edge of the area and was drilled in by Scott Murray.  Murrays kick was going wide and Tony Breeden, the Harriers keeper, sensed that and appeared to be leaving it but he hadn't considered Lee Vaughan stood to his right.  Vaughan inexplicably put a foot out and the ball looped up into Breedens right hand corner.

The early goal still didn't help the game 'ignite' as nether team seemed to have the confidence to really attack in any numbers with sloppy passing letting both sides down.

The Harrier's first chance came in the 22nd minute when a fine cross from Mickey Demetriou was met by Kyle Storer but was unfortunately sliced wide.  It didn't take long though for Storer to make up for this and some more good movement by Demetriou released Storer who created some space to wipe in a cross which was calmly dispatched by the head of Steve Guinan bringing the home side level.

A few minutes later Guinan came close to getting a second, when he found himself in space, but his well struck shot dragged wide of Baths' left post.

With one minute left of the half the home side completed the comeback.  Jamille Matt, with a skillfully timed solo run, cut through Baths' back line to slot the ball under keeper Jason Matthews and give the shivering home fans something to keep them warm during the break.

Following a substitution for both sides at the restart, the Harriers Jack Byrne on for Guinan and Charlie Clough on for Andy Gallinagh for City, the second half started at a much slower tempo with the Harriers starting to take a more dominating role.

This possession was rewarded with a third goal as again Matt and Nick Wright beat Baths' defensive line thanks to a wonder ball from Byrne.  Matts initial shot hit the upright and came back to them.  After a brief 'board meeting' between the two front men they decided that Matt was the man to finish off the attack and he took the responsibility well to dispatch past Matthews for a second time.

Bath looked as if they were going to drag themselves back into the game when Jo Bryan, on for Murray, pounced on a mistake from Vaughan but Bryan then seemed to briefly forgot his attacking role and stopped to make it easy for Vaughan to rectify his error and clear the problem.

A few minutes later Harriers looked like they'd been gifted the perfect chance to wrap up the points when Luke Jones was flattened by Gethin Jones in Baths box and the referee immediately pointed to the spot.  Up stepped Jamille Matt readying himself to take the penalty and earn himself his hat trick when the linesman decided that he was better positioned, and qualified, to see the incident and persuaded the referee to reverse his decision and incredibly give Bath a free kick.

Nice to see a referee that knows his own mind and came make a decision for himself?

The linesman continued to be the enemy of the Harriers forwards as goals from sub Marc Williams and then Wright were cancelled out for offside even though to most fans at that end of the ground they looked to be well onside.

The fourth goal did finally arrive when a scramble in the area released the ball towards Jack Byrne who controlled before finely powering home the finish, and strengthen the Harriers push for the play offs, with what is likely to be one of the easier three points we'll gain this season.

 Goals for Harriers: Guinan 33, Matt 45, 66, Byrne 88
 Goal for Bath: Murray 6

REFEREE:

Mr D Handley Bolton