Promotion-chasing Kidderminster Harriers battle manager-of-the-month curse (From Worcester News)

Promotion-chasing Kidderminster Harriers battle manager-of-the-month curse

2:00pm Friday 1st March 2013 in Sport By Steve Carley, @stevecarleyWN

STEVE Burr hopes to defy the manager-of-the-month curse as Kidderminster Harriers bid to continue their promotion push.

The Aggborough boss has won the Blue Square Bet Premier award for the second time this season after leading Harriers to five straight victories in February to put them firmly in the title mix.

Hot-shot striker Anthony Malbon also scooped the player prize after scoring in each of those matches, including a brace against Hyde.

However, the last time Harriers bagged both awards in December, when Burr was joined by Jamille Matt, they lost their next match 1-0 at home to rivals Hereford United on New Year’s Day.

Burr will hope history does not repeat itself when Kidderminster host Ebbsfleet United tomorrow (3pm) seeking a 16th win in 18 league matches.

The Harriers boss knows how important it is for his side to keep their foot on the gas and is prepared to rotate his squad in order to do so.

He said: “We’re doing our best to try and keep things as fresh as we can and still pick a winning side. We’ve made it clear to the players we will need every single one of them but we want to keep everybody nice and fresh.

“They all want to play and that is how we want it. We’ve got some really tough games at Luton, Grimsby, Wrexham and Newport but every single match will be tough for us.”

Ebbsfleet are second-from-bottom in the table after losing 3-1 at Grimsby last Tuesday but they defeated seventh-placed Hereford 1-0 10 days ago so won’t be taken lightly.

Midfielder Keith Briggs is fit again following a knee injury, while on-loan striker Nat Jarvis has returned from parent club Cardiff City where he was being treated for a knee problem.

Striker Amari-Smith has been recalled from his loan by Macclesfield Town after one goal in five games.