DONCASTER 5, HARRIERS 0

A BLEAK Friday evening in Doncaster was the setting for yet another trough in Kidderminster Harriers' dismal Division Three campaign.

Conceding a terrible goal on five minutes from a corner was just the start for kamikaze Harriers at Belle Vue as everything that could go wrong went completely pear-shaped.

Jan Molby's men let in another goal during first-half stoppage time, were reduced to 10 men and lost two defenders through injury.

Hardly, a recipe for success at leaders Doncaster who may only have been promoted via the Conference play-offs last season but are still the best team Harriers have faced over two games.

Three more goals ensured Kidderminster's goal difference was as low as their battered confidence after this pasting.

They may have drawn admiration from the Doncaster public for playing football on the grass in arctic conditions but most of the defending was a horror show for Harriers fans.

In fairness, Harriers' back four was completely different to the one that faced Swansea the previous weekend with Scott Stamps sent off and Craig Hinton suspended, while Wayne Hatswell and Matt Gadsby were hit by injury.

Doncaster top scorer Gregg Blundell should have been well known to Harriers but he was given plenty of space to head Michael McIndoe's superb cross over the bar early on.

Keeper Stuart Brock then flapped at another centre and the resulting McIndoe flag-kick saw defender Mark Albrighton plant home a firm header from six yards on five minutes.

Blundell was yet again unmarked eight minutes later from Leo Fortune-West's flick but his first shot was clawed away by Brock and he then nodded wide from John Melligan's cross.

Harriers just did not learn and they were lucky Blundell's free header from a Dave Mulligan ball presented Brock with an easy catch.

Stamps, who seemed to be kicking former team-mate and Harriers hero Melligan at every opportunity, picked up his first booking on 23 minutes for fouling the Irishman.

With only 27 minutes gone, Harriers showed signs of their neat passing game but lost right-back Matt Gadsby with a stomach injury, leaving Graham Ward to contend with the tricky McIndoe.

Paul Green found the net with a disallowed effort four minutes later but Hatswell clashed heads in the build-up and was left concussed.

Amazingly, the brave defender returned to the action and was involved in a move which ended with Dean Bennett whose low drive from an angle was well saved by keeper Andy Warrington.

The half was not to end well for Harriers though as McIndoe tested Brock and then provided Blundell with the chance to curl home a well-taken second goal soon after.

Hatswell was whisked off to hospital after feeling unwell during the interval and then Stamps went for an early bath two minutes into the second period.

The left-back, already on a booking and a subsequent warning, took out the relatively quiet Melligan yet again to leave director of football Molby fuming.

Mark Yates, in a steady debut on a nightmare night, switched to centre-half and sub Sean Parrish filled in for Stamps.

Brock defied the Yorkshire side again on 51 minutes with a good one-on-one block from the menacing Blundell as the hosts made full use of the width of the pitch against 10 men.

But he could do nothing about Ricky Ravenhill's lethal finish from the edge of the box in the 55th minute after a poor clearance.

Harriers enjoyed a good spell with the introduction of lively substitute Scott Rickards who quickly released John Williams only for the veteran forward to place his shot inches wide.

Yates and Bennett both hammered well-struck efforts off target, while Albrighton cleared another promising attack with Rickards again involved.

But as the falling snow began to gain momentum so did Doncaster's attacks and Harriers' defending deteriorated further.

Blundell was able to somehow shrug off big Abdou Sall to slot the fourth goal past Brock on 78 minutes.

And although Rickards demanded a diving stop from Warrington, Doncaster's Mulligan wrapped up the scoring on his home debut with an excellent 18-yard finish following another good move from the slick home side.

DONCASTER: Warrington; Mulligan, Albrighton, Foster, Ryan; Melligan (Rigoglioso 77), Green, Ravenhill (McGrath 80), McIndoe; Blundell, Fortune-West (Brown 72). Subs not used: Richardson, Morley.

HARRIERS: Brock 6; Gadsby 6 (Ward 26, 6), Sall 5, Hatswell 5 (Parrish 46, 5), Stamps 4; J Williams 5, Murray 6, YATES 7, Keates 6, Bennett 6; Christiansen 5 (Rickards 56, 7). Subs not used: Danby, Foster. ATTENDANCE: 7,594.

SHOTS ON: Doncaster 8, Harriers 3.

SHOTS OFF: Doncaster 10, Harriers 7.

CORNERS: Doncaster 11, Harriers 6.

GOALS: Albrighton 5, Blundell 45, Ravenhill 55, Blundell 78, Mulligan 90.

YELLOW CARDS: None.

RED CARDS: Doncaster 0, Harriers 1 (Stamps).

SHUTTLE STAR MAN: Mark Yates. Not the best game to mark the return of the former Harriers skipper but he did little wrong, giving 100 per cent in both midfield and when pushed into defence due to injuries.