Harriers 4
Wolves 2

IMPRESSIVE Harriers were far too strong for an inexperienced Wolverhampton Wanderers side as they produced another compelling pre-season display at Aggborough on Tuesday night.

The Premier League outfit's stars of the future had no answer to a four-goal salvo in the first half as they made it three pre-season wins in a row.

Nick Wright and Marc Williams had cancelled out Wolves' opener from Stefan Maierhofer but a devastating double by Jamille Matt on the stroke of half-time put the home side in charge.

Veteran hitman Steve Guinan almost opened the scoring in the second minute for Harriers.

The former Hereford man sped down the right and his low effort draw a save from Louis Conner.

Kyle Storer nearly opened up the visitors with a clever pass but as Williams rushed in, Conner was alert to the danger.

Harriers custodian Danny Lewis was then called into action in the 10th, diving down at his near post to deny John Gorman.

Jack Cresswell had seen a fizzing effort fly wide as Harriers looked dangerous.

But the game exploded into life as both teams swapped goals in the space of two minutes.

First, out of favour Austrian forward Stefan Maierhofer produced a fine finish to beat Lewis in the 17th minute to fire Wolves ahead.

Harriers levelled the scores two minutes later. Nick Wright slotted the ball into an empty net after Conner could only parry Marc Williams' effort.

Williams grabbed his second goal of pre-season to fire Harriers ahead in the 25th minute.

The Welsh hitman anticipated Wright's excellent pin-point cross from the right and nodded the ball into the back of the net.

Harriers had a setback six minutes later, when Guinan had to be replaced by Matt because of a gash to the head after an ungainly aerial challenge by a Wolves player.

Wright thought he'd made it 3-1 in the 39th minute when he sprung the offside trap and finished with a left-footed shot. The move had been allowed by the official despite one of his team mates being offside, but after a chat with his assistant, the referee reversed his original decision and disallowed it.

But the hosts had the last laugh as Matt's quickfire brace puts Wolves' cubs to the sword.

First, he timed his run to perfection to meet Lee Vaughan's cross and nod the ball into the back of the net in the 44th minute.

Moments later, the big centre forward outmuscled a defender and lashed a superb effort beyond a helpless Conner.

Maierhofer nearly pulled a goal back for Wanderers as his 20-yard chip rattled the bar in the 50th minute.

The hitman then turned provider in the 56th, squaring the ball to Sam Winnall, who fired a shot through a crowded box into back of the to make it 4-2.

Harriers responded well to Wolves' reply and Wright came close to grabbing a fifth goal for the home side.

He cut in menacingly from the right and let-fly with a dipping effort which beat Wolves' keeper and rattled the crossbar.

Substitute James Vincent almost got in on the scoring act for the hosts, driving a low effort wide.

The visitors still searched for goals but despite Harriers being disrupted by a host of changes throughout the second half, they looked comfortable.

Kristian Kostrna had a go from distance for Wolves but his effort sailed over the bar.

At the other end, Harriers trialist Paul Bottimer drove into the box on the right and shot into the side netting.

Luke Jones nearly added a fifth at the death but his far post header hit the post from a Dave Hankin cross

Harriers: Lewis; Vaughan (Sharpe, 64); Mike Williams (Demetriou, 78); Jones; Marshall (Briscoe, 78); Storer (Phelan, 56); Byrne (Hankin, 72); Cresswell (Vincent, 56); Wright (Bottimer, 72); Guinan (Matt, 31); Marc Williams (Medley, 66).

Unused substitutes: Thompson-Brown Wolves: Conner; Kostrna; Hemmings; Harris; Reckford; Ikiewhe; Constantinou (Price, 56); Winnall; Maierhoffer; Cassidy; Gorman.

Unused substitutes: Mulliner; Ebanks; Whittall; Lorfa; Cranston.

Attendance: 1,114