Saturday, September 28, 2002

BO Henriksen scored the winner in Kidderminster Harriers' 2-1 Nationwide League Division Three victory over Bristol Rovers at the Memorial Ground on Saturday and then declared: "We can reach the play-offs".

The Danish striker's goal enabled Harriers to stretch their unbeaten league run to eight matches and move to within five points of the top of the table.

He said: "We don't have anybody to fear in this division. If we can produce what we did against Bristol we can at least reach the play-offs, but let's not get carried away because there's a lot of games to go and a lot of things can happen.

"But I think we have a team right now that can reach the play-offs if we keep playing as we are.

"We have had a bit of a run, but we haven't got the points we should have had. But hopefully we will do that now. If we can keep this away form we'll eventually begin to win at home as well."

Harriers' second successive away victory was particularly satisfying for their Bristol-born manager Ian Britton who used to support Rovers as a youngster.

He said: "I thought we thoroughly deserved the win. We played very well.

"Bristol didn't have many clear-cut chances and that shows how well we've done.

"We have worked hard on the defensive side of our game since the start of the season and it's paying off. The team really believe in themselves."

Harriers, without their on-loan defender Mark Clyde because of a stomach bug, revelled in the atmosphere created by a bumper 9,447 crowd which had taken advantage of a cut-price admission scheme.

But it was the 383 away fans who had the most to shout about, particularly in the 27th minute when on-loan John Melligan put Harriers ahead with a sweetly struck shot from 15 yards.

Earlier Kidderminster keeper Stuart Brock had pushed a Guiliano Grazioli effort around the post and then in the early stages of the second half produced a similar save to deny Vitalijs Astafjevs.

Rovers, winners of their previous two matches, equalised in the 74th minute when Paul Tait glanced in a near post header following a corner by Astafjevs.

A minute later, however, Henriken was left unmarked to score with a close range header after Melligan's cross had been knocked back by the eye-catching Sam Shilton.

It was leading scorer Henriksen's fourth goal of the season.

He said: "We should have got the second goal maybe in the first half or the beginning of the second half. We were beginning to get a bit nervous but at the end of the day we have to be happy with three points."

GOALSCORERS: Melligan 27 (0-1), Tait 74 (1-1), Henriksen 75 (1-2).

STAR PLAYER: Sam Shilton.

BOOKINGS: Bristol Rovers -- Challis (foul). Kidderminster -- Stamps (foul).

ATTENDANCE: 9,447.

REFEREE: Mr M. Ryan (Lancashire).

KIDDERMINSTER: Brock 7, Stamps 7, Williams 7, Hinton 7, Bennett 6, Ayres 7, Henriksen 7 (Foster 87), Melligan 7, Flynn 7, Broughton 7, Shilton 8. Subs (not used): Ducros, Danby, Doyle, Joy.

BRISTOL ROVERS: Howie, Boxall (Mogg 73), Challis (Austin 73), Uddin, Barrett, Bryant (McKeever 57), Astafjevs, Quinn, Tait, Grazioli, Carlisle. Subs (not used): Richards, Roy.