Saturday, January 22, 2005

ANOTHER weekend of kamikaze defending cranked up the relegation pressure on Stuart Watkiss and his struggling Kidderminster Harriers team.

Mistakes at the back cost Harriers three points at home to Oxford United, just like they had at Macclesfield Town only seven days earlier.

It has become a recurring theme for the Aggborough men and one that is threatening more than ever to cost them their place in the Football League.

For two Oxford first-half goals effectively killed off Saturday's game and no amount of possession or chances were going to drag Harriers back.

A victory for Rushden and Diamonds means Harriers are now six points off third-from-bottom Shrewsbury Town with a massive game at basement boys Cambridge United this weekend.

And Watkiss reflected: "We were much better in the second-half but again we dug ourselves a massive hole in the first-half. It seems to be a regular thing, real schoolboy defending, and it gives us a mountain to climb.

"You can't really knock the second-half performance. But my gripe is why do we have to be 2-0 down before we start doing that?

"In a lot of ways, it's easy to play when you're 2-0 down because the pressure by then is already off you and you've got nothing to lose.

"I come to games on a Saturday firmly believing we have got enough about us to win. But I don't know if the players have that belief."

Harriers started well enough and Oxford 'keeper Chris Tardif certainly earned his crust during the match, making an early block from Blair Sturrock's near-post flick header.

Billy Jones' set-pieces also caused the visitors problems and midfielder John McGrath looked a useful addition, despite beginning in an unaccustomed right-sided position.

Gary Birch should have headed them ahead on 20 minutes from McGrath's inviting cross but Tardif pushed the ball onto the post, denying the unmarked striker his first Harriers goal.

However, Harriers often looked uncomfortable at the back and Oxford stole the lead on 22 minutes following several warning signs.

Winger Chris Hackett, back from suspension, moved inside to drift through the centre of a sleeping defence and calmly beat 'keeper John Danby.

It just got worse for the hosts in the 38th minute when midfielder Tom Bennett, taking too much time over a pass, was robbed of the ball in his own area.

Former Birmingham forward Tommy Mooney was the man to win possession and he simply played Craig Davies through to drill home goal number two.

Davies exposed the lack of pace in the Harriers' back-line again soon after but Danby pulled off a good save.

With a huge task on their hands, Watkiss' side nearly created a morale-boosting goal on 51 minutes through a good piece of Simon Russell skill.

The youngster found Dean Keates and his cross was met by Birch's hanging header but a back-pedalling Tardif threw out a desperate hand to stop the ball crossing the goal-line.

The withdrawal of Sturrock for Chris Beardsley was hardly met with approval by Harriers fans but the sub proved a major handful for Oxford.

Beardsley won a free-kick on the right flank and Jones' cross was nodded down by Birch before eventually being turned into his own net by centre-half Jon Ashton from close range.

But Harriers' 66th-minute consolation proved just that and they rarely troubled the Oxford goal after that with one notable exception.

Johnny Mullins, a matter of inches out, could only direct the ball over the bar after Birch firmly nodded Beardsley's centre across the face of goal.

Sub Steve Basham held off the challenge of Keates to sprint clear in stoppage time, finding the net for a third goal despite the best efforts of Danby.

Harriers: Danby 6; Mullins 6, Weaver 5, Hatswell 5, Jones 6; *McGrath 7, Bennett 5 (Foster 76), Keates 5; Russell 6; Birch 5, Sturrock 5 (Beardsley 62, 6). Subs not used: Lewis, Sall, Gleeson. Attendance: 3,143.