HARRIERS 3 LEYTON ORIENT 2

A DANISH slice of brilliance from striker Bo Henriksen steered Kidderminster Harriers to an unlikely Boxing Day success over Leyton Orient.

It had been a quiet game for Henriksen until he turned to lob the 84th-minute winner over keeper Scott Barrett from the edge of the area.

In the former Herfolge star, who scored on his Harriers debut at Orient last season, boss Ian Britton certainly has a player who can turn a game.

And Henriksen's eighth goal of the season was much needed after his team produced a largely poor display despite Orient being down to 10 men for the whole second half.

But Harriers are still capable of entertainment and goals even in the scrappiest of circumstances, as last Thursday proved.

Orient had looked set to claim their fourth Division Three win in a row with teenage striker Jabo Ibehre taking advantage of slack marking with two goals.

But Harriers struck through Dean Bennett, a first league goal at Aggborough for Sam Shilton and crucially Henriksen near the end.

Orient moved ahead on 19 minutes while the home side were still relieved over the return of midfield loan ace John Melligan who had left the field for treatment to an ankle injury.

Ibehre easily held off the challenge of Lee Ayres in the area and turned to plant a low close-range finish past Stuart Brock.

Within three minutes, Harriers lost midfielder Sean Parrish to a hamstring strain and the alarm bells were ringing.

They were struggling to pass the ball with any conviction and the Orient back five were well on top.

But a key moment arrived almost from nowhere on 39 minutes when Brock's long clearance for once caught Orient napping in defence and Bennett's persistence was rewarded with a clean header over the advancing Barrett.

The visitors were then reduced to 10 when Chris Tate showed why he plays up front with a mistimed sliding lunge on goal-scorer Bennett close to the dug-outs.

Harriers started the second period on the offensive but Barrett was only tested by a darting run into the area from Melligan.

And Orient shrugged off their disadvantage by regaining the lead on the hour through a free diving header by the powerful Ibehre from Andy Harris' free-kick.

There was little sign of what was to come as Harriers huffed and puffed without looking at all dangerous.

But then probably the season's most improved player Sam Shilton somehow found a 78th-minute equaliser, bravely bundling the ball home after Henriksen's shot was saved.

And with Harriers' midfield now back in the groove, they were ironically completely by-passed in the lead-up to the winner.

Kenny Coleman, looking much more comfortable in defence, fed a good long low pass into the feet of Henriksen who showed Premiership class with his finish.

Rampant Harriers nearly bagged a fourth goal with Sean Flynn's drive tipped over and substitute Ian Foster firing into the side netting from an acute angle.

But they had certainly played their "get out of jail" card to edge back towards the play-off zone in front of their biggest crowd of the season, a very healthy 3,821.

HARRIERS: Brock 6; Coleman 7, Ayres 6, HINTON 8; Bennett 7 (Foster 61, 6), Melligan 7, Flynn 7, Parrish 6 (Williams 25, 7), Shilton 7; Bishop 6, Henriksen 7 (Doyle 86). Subs: Broughton, Danby.

LEYTON ORIENT: Barrett; Barnard, Joseph (Thorpe 86), Smith, Jones, Lockwood; Canham, Harris, Brazier (Martin 46); Ibehre, Tate. Subs: Nugent, Morris, Stephens.

SHOTS ON: Harriers 7, Orient 3.

SHOTS OFF: Harriers 9, Orient 7.

CORNERS: Harriers 9, Orient 3.

GOALS: Ibehre 19, Bennett 39, Ibehre 60, Shilton 78, Henriksen 84.

YELLOW CARDS: Harriers 1 (Williams), Orient 1 (Martin).

RED CARDS: Harriers 0, Orient 1 (Tate).

SHUTTLE STAR MAN: Craig Hinton. Has looked far more comfortable in the three-man defence over the last two games, co-inciding with an unbeaten run for Harriers.