A Jamille Matt hat trick knocks the league leaders back

With the sensation of Sweet and Sour Chicken still rattling around my taste buds (Murdoch is trying out new creations) Ed: No he's not. The away fans have had this for years. - Kidderminster Harriers could have easily have been one or two goals behind as visitors Newport caused chaos down the flanks.

For the first twenty minutes it was obvious how Newport had stormed their way to the top of the Blue Square; they were faster to every ball, stronger, and looked like they were going to score from every attack - and if it wasn't for a magnificent save by Danny Lewis from Michael Smith's head on fourteen minutes they would have got their just reward.

After twenty four minutes of the ball rattling around Harriers area like a pinball machine we somehow found ourselves in the lead.  Mickey Demetriou finally broke free and spread the ball wonderfully forward to Danny Pilkington, in for the injured Marvin Johnson, who charged down on the visitor's goal and teed up Jamille Matt to nod in a close range head with a perfectly weighted chipped cross.

To say Harrier's opener was against the run of play would be a massive understatement and the goal did little to dampen Newport's free flowing attacking play.  On thirty two minutes they were once again freely playing the ball deep into the home sides half and Christian Jolley was then smartly played through (Ed: some would call it offside) to cross the ball for Smith to smash the ball past Lewis.

Newport kept coming and soon took the lead.  Harriers found themselves on the end of yet another corner but this time Keith Briggs could only scuff the ball weakly and straight onto the foot of Lee Evans who cracked a swirling strike past Lewis into his top corner.

With but seconds to go until the interval Newport could have then got a third as Lewis could only watch on as a Jolley strike ricocheted off the post and out of danger.

We had just witnessed a really dominating first half display from Newport but at 2-1 Harriers were always in it and as the second half kicked off signs of a wonder Steve Burr team talk started to materialise with Kidderminster coming out the stronger spearheaded by Matt who, if it wasn't for a last ditch clearance, could have put Harriers level.

Kyle Storer then forced the Newport keeper Alan Julian into his first real save on the day with a spectacular (possibly unnecessarily so) diving punch over the bar.

Newport's Smith still continued to cause trouble at the other end and almost put the game out of sight moments later but could only watch as his curling strike bounced off Lewis's cross bar.

The Carpetmen then scraped the game back to level terms on fifty eight minutes.  Mickey Demetrious' unparalleled determination kept him chasing a ball that appeared to have gone out of play near the halfway line.  He sliced it back along the line and his deep looping cross found its way as far as the back post to Matt who cheekily sent a looping header back over Julian and his defender into the inside netting.

Harriers kept coming and on the sixty eighth minute the ref was surrounded by frustrated men in red appealing for a penalty.  Pilkington (having probably the best performance we've seen from him in a Harriers shirt) strode though on goal crashing the ball through the box to Matt who after three deflected strikes seemed to have finally got a shot through the wall of Newport men only for it to be palmed around the post by a defender.  The referee ignored all our calls and awarded a corner.

Pilkington was again causing trouble moments later when he found space at the edge of the area to send a shot towards goal and off the outstretched fist of Julian.

The winning goal finally came moments later and who else could it be but Jamille Matt to bring back memories of Nick Wright's hat-trick in the same game the previous season.

Lee Vaughans cross was the perfect height for Matt the Hat Trick to seal the three points with another header.  The stadium erupted as Jamma came over to celebrate with the fans and then minutes after, to a standing ovation, he made way for Nathan Blissett to come on for the final few minutes of the game as the Harriers saw out the victory that will go down as their best win since, well ... last weekend against Wrexham.

With this result we have now moved up to seventh place in the league.  Next week we take a break from the campaign to take on a tricky tie down at Bromley in the FA Trophy but on this rich streak of form that we're going through we should be able to progress further.

 Goals for Harriers: Matt 23, 58, 78
 Goals for Newport: Smith 31, Evans 37

REFEREE:

Mr N Kinseley Essex