Saturday, November 6, 2004

AS fireworks exploded above Shaun Cunnington at Aggborough, it was easy to believe there may have been a similar atmosphere in the Kidderminster Harriers changing room after this shocker.

An embarrassing second-half display condemned Harriers to their biggest home Football League defeat, a 4-0 thumping that prompted fans to turn their anger towards the club's board.

Boston United had not won on their travels but then Kidderminster have provided easy pickings for a string of League Two opponents this season.

Though the picture at the bottom of the table could change so easily, it is now looking like three teams in particular, Harriers, Cambridge United and Shrewsbury, must all fight their way out of this mess.

But Harriers supporters will wonder where on earth the next win could come from with no goals in four games and a cringe-worthy defensive debacle in the second-half against Boston.

Andy Kirk netted two penalties and a tap-in to complete a 34-minute hat-trick after Lee Beevers had sparked off the Boston fire with an unmarked header.

The result hardly helped caretaker Cunnington in his bid to win the role on a full-time basis but then it is hard to imagine anyone relishing the task ahead.

Cunnington fumed: "I'm embarrassed and so should the players be. We have prepared properly all week and in the first-half we did okay. They did everything we asked them to do.

"Then in the second-half they fold like that. It's simply not good enough. The players are playing for their livelihoods, whether it's with me or somebody else that's going to come in.

"Anybody that's interested in the job is going to be watching the games so the players are in the shop window. At this present moment in time, they're not doing themselves any favours.

"Character's a big word but that's what the players have got to find. We will see whether they are men enough to get themselves out of the situation they've got themselves into. They are letting themselves down as well as the club and everybody associated with it."

Yet Harriers had shown promise in the first-half with James Keene driving just over from 20 yards after a tremendous piece of control and Simon Russell forcing a tip-over by 'keeper Nathan Abbey.

But they still needed a good save from loan signing Ben Foster in goal to deny former Hearts striker Kirk in a one-on-one situation 14 minutes into the game.

Boston tore Harriers apart in the second-half though and Beevers' free header from a David Noble corner on 50 minutes put them on the way to a convincing victory.

Though Foster appeared only to accidentally collide with Beevers six minutes later as the ball ran out of play, Kirk buried the harsh penalty award.

Then Kirk ran clear only to be hauled back by Abdou Sall and he smashed home the spot-kick on 81 minutes before completing his hat-trick in the final seconds after Lee Thompson's shot was parried.

Harriers: B Foster 6; Cooper 6, Sall 4, Hatswell 5, Beswetherick 6; Russell 6, Jenkins 5 (I Foster 71), Keates 6, Christiansen 6 (Diop 66, 6); *Keene 7, Stamp 5. Subs not used: Lewis, Advice-Desruisseaux, McHale. Attendance: 2,208.