HARRIERS 1, SOUTHEND 2

THE summer exit of Drewe Broughton has remained a big debate among Kidderminster Harriers fans. Is his departure partly to blame for this season's struggles?

There can be no doubt Harriers have missed a tall physical player of Broughton's ilk in attack, someone to hold the ball up and get a head to the stream of hopeful punts up the field.

And the big target man, who took the weight off Bo Henriksen's shoulders in helping him to his 20 goals last season, showed former boss Ian Britton what he was all about on Saturday for new club Southend.

Though his finishing and work in the penalty box was as erratic as ever, Broughton's efforts outside the 18-yard zone could not be faulted. His link-up play was excellent.

From a Harriers perspective, the Aggborough old boy was one of the few interesting features of this match because the home team, who suffered their eighth defeat in 11 games, were shocking.

Very little went right and it raised big questions all over the place, including serious doubts over commitment and desire from the Harriers players.

Southend simply wanted this game more and the point almost rescued by star man John Melligan's 84th-minute equaliser would not have been deserved.

Defensively, Harriers' three-man back-line was up against as many attackers which was always going to spell trouble.

Their midfield failed to function, despite Melligan's promptings and Danny Williams' free-kick threat.

That left little hope of the attack impressing with Bo Henriksen withdrawn at half-time due to injury, though rookie Matt Lewis showed potential in his first Division Three start.

Almost straight after kick-off, Lewis pounced onto a defensive error but was denied by the quick thinking of oncoming keeper Darryl Flahavan.

Unfortunately, there was not much more to report from shot-shy Harriers in an attacking sense.

Broughton headed a Duncan Jupp free-kick wide on four minutes and failed to control a pass from the same player when left completely unmarked in the box.

Jay Smith sent an over-head kick wide on 27 minutes and then Leon Cort's goal-bound header was ruled out for a push on defender Adam Willis.

Southend midfielder Smith shot straight at keeper Stuart Brock from outside the box before the visitors went ahead a minute before half-time.

Left-winger Mark Gower tapped a free-kick, given for Willis' foul on Broughton, to centre-half Mark Warren who powered in a 20-yarder.

Southend's right-sided attacker Leon Constantine blasted wide early in the second period with Harriers' defence at sixes and sevens.

The out-of-sorts Henriksen was replaced by Dean Bennett, who featured in attack where he has played before, and the ineffective John Williams took over from Lewis.

And then the game slipped even further down a black hole with several Kidderminster players going completely AWOL.

Adie Smith, Harriers' best defender, did superbly to block a Gower effort on 78 minutes before Harriers finally mustered their first shot on target.

Sam Shilton's cross was clawed away by Flahavan straight to Melligan who forced the ball over the line six minutes from time after his initial effort was blocked.

D Williams was denied by Flahavan's excellent diving save to his right four minutes later from a fierce 25-yard free-kick.

But Harriers were at least consistent in their dire display as they threw away an unlikely point two minutes into injury-time.

Jamie Fullarton was given the time to cross from the left, Constantine the chance to divert the ball back across goal and sub Tes Bramble had an age to hook it into the net from close range.

New players are needed, as admitted by Britton afterwards, but the worry is that their problems run far deeper than that.

HARRIERS: Brock 5; A Smith 6, Willis 5, Stamps 5; Ward 4, MELLIGAN 7, Betts 4 (Gadsby 70, 4), D Williams 5, Shilton 4; Henriksen 4 (Bennett 46, 4), Lewis 6 (J Williams 58, 4). Subs not used: Hinton, Coleman.

SOUTHEND: Flahavan; Jupp, Cort, Warren (McSweeney 79), Stuart; J Smith, Maher, Fullarton; Constantine, Broughton (Bramble 89), Gower. Subs not used: Jenkins, Husbands, Robinson.

ATTENDANCE: 2,429.

SHOTS ON: Harriers 3, Southend 5.

SHOTS OFF: Harriers 7, Southend 6.

CORNERS: Harriers 10, Southend 3.

GOALS: Warren 44, Melligan 84, Bramble 90.

YELLOW CARDS: Harriers 1 (D Williams), Southend 3 (Fullarton, Stuart, Maher).

SHUTTLE STAR MAN: John Melligan. Scored the equaliser with a rare shot on target for Harriers and at least showed bags of enthusiasm. The midfielder has a tough job ahead in a struggling team.