Luton Town 3 Kidderminster Harriers 1 (From Worcester News)

Luton Town 3 Kidderminster Harriers 1

11:08pm Tuesday 16th March 2010 in

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KIDDERMINSTER Harriers’ slim hopes of making the Blue Square Premier play-offs were dented at Kenilworth Road tonight.

The Aggborough outfit played their part in an entertaining game but the home side, inspired by veteran striker Kevin Gallen’s brace, edged an open encounter.

Defeat to one of the rivals for a top-five finish did not kill off their chances of gatecrashing the end-of-season promotion party but it does mean they cannot afford to drop any more points.

In a shaky start, Harriers should have been behind in the 10th minute but were thanking woeful finishing by Tom Craddock.

The hosts continued to probe and got their reward with a 23rd-minute strike.

Harriers had repelled a Luton advance when Jake Howells delivered a curling cross from the left that evaded keeper Ross Atkins.

The away side were 2-0 down on the half-hour mark when veteran hit-man Gallen fired a low 20-yard free-kick through Harriers’ wall that caught out Atkins.

Loan striker James Lawrie got Harriers back into the game in his first start for the club, beating keeper Mark Tyler with a first-time effort from the edge of the box on 33 minutes.

In the second-half, Harriers skipper Chris McPhee forced a fine diving save from Tyler with a 20-yard drive.

But they found themselves 3-1 down on 56 minutes when Gallen rifled a shot into the back of the net.

Harriers went all out for a goal as Robbie Matthews stung Tyler’s palms with a firm free-kick.

Moments later, Lawrie forced a decent save from the Hatters’ shot-stopper.

The in-form Brian Smikle was forced off with an injury on 71 minutes and Luton looked more likely to score late on as Harriers slipped to their first league defeat under boss Steve Burr.

Harriers: Atkins; Courtney, Riley, Sharpe, Baker; Goodfellow (Hadley 84), McPhee, Byrne, Smikle (Knights 71); Matthews, Lawrie. Subs not used: Singh, Hayward, Bignot.

Attendance: 5,908.