Harriers 2, Forest Green 4

HARRIERS paid the price for a poor first half as Forest Green Rovers avenged their Boxing Day defeat at Aggborough on New Year's Day.

The hosts suffered a second successive home defeat on a poor pitch as Rovers raced to a 3-0 half-time lead.

Goals for Jon Parkin, Klovis Kamdjo and Kurtis Guthrie left the home side with a mountain to climb in the second half.

Parkin's second on the hour saw Harriers trailing 4-0, before Craig Reid and Marvin Johnson rattled Rovers.

But Harriers ran out of time to complete the fight back.

Harriers welcomed back in-form forward Aman Verma, who scored a brace against Rovers on Boxing Day.

The hosts started brightly and but paid the price for a lack cutting edge with front two of Reece Styche and Reid struggling in front of goal.

Johnson saw a driven effort saved by keeper Daniel Lewis in the third minute.

A clever Kevin Nicholson free-kick then found an unmarked Reid but the forward mis hit his effort.

Verma then won the ball off defender Aaran Racine as he struggled on Kidderminster's sandy pitch and unleashed a 20-yard effort which keeper Sam Russell athletically saved.

The in-form Johnson then made a swift attack down the left and curled an effort over the bar.

Midfielder Kyle Storer flashed an effort wide after good work by Verma go race to the byline and drive the ball to him.

But with the hosts comfortably on top, they fell behind against the run of play in the 22nd minute.

The experienced Parkin did not have to move as he planted a header into the back of the net from a deep Dale Bennett cross.

But two goals in as many minutes saw Kidderminster trailing by three goals.

First, Kamdjo won the ball impressively and after finding Guthrie and racing onto the young forward's deft header, he smashed a fine left-footed effort into the back of the net.

Keeper Danny Lewis then spilled a James Norwood's shot and Guthrie was on hand to finish from close range.

Harriers tried to crank up the pressure on their opponents at the start of the second half but Reid steered an effort at the keeper and Styche missed the target from a good position.

Whild handed rookie striker Jamie Spencer his Kidderminster debut in the 59th minute but 60 seconds later, Rovers made it 4-0.

It was too easy for Parkin to shake off a defender and fire home from 12 yards out.

Moments later, Lewis stuck out a foot to deny James Norwood, who had made a strong raid down the right.

But the hosts finally grabbed a lifeline in the 70th minute when Reid was felled by Bennett and dispatched the resulting spot-kick into the top right corner.

Harriers then made it 4-2 in the 73rd minute when Johnson raced down the right and beat Russell with a superb shot.

The hosts scented a remarkable comeback and from a corner, Jamie Grimes. saw a near post header roll through the box instead of nestlé in the back of the net.

Rookie Kidderminster centreback Jordan Tunnicliffe was then shown a yellow red card in the 87th minute for a late challenge on Marcus Kelly.

Lewis then denied Rovers attacker Elliott Frear, who had made a strong run down the left wing.

Despite five minutes of time added on, the hosts could not find the other two goals they needed to secure a point from a game they threw away in the first half.

Harriers: Lewis, Hodgkiss, Storer, Byrne (Spencer, 59), Johnson, Reid, Styche, Grimes, Verma, Tunnicliffe, Nicholson.

Subs not used: Green, Obeng, Gittings, Asante.

Forest Green: Russell, Oliver, Bennett, Norwood, Kelly, Kamdjo, Racine, Guthrie, Frear, Sinclair, Parkin (Stokes, 86).

Subs not used: White, Hughes, McGrory.

Referee: David Rock (Hertford) Attendance: 2182 (206)