HARRIERS 2 TORQUAY 0

COWSHED regulars will long remember the stand's final game for two Kidderminster Harriers' goals out of the top drawer.

A solid, professional Harriers display was lit up by wonder strikes from John Melligan and Bo Henriksen.

Their 2-0 victory in Division Three was a repeat of another historic fixture, their first game in the Football League in 2000.

Torquay are yet to beat Harriers in the league and they did not look capable of upsetting the party on Saturday despite flying high at fourth in the table before kick-off.

Ian Britton's men kept a second successive clean sheet in home games and the no-nonsense approach of centre-back Dion Scott has been a major factor.

But Harriers really clipped the Gulls' wings with a non-step pressing game in midfield never allowing their ball-players to settle.

Danny Williams was immense in the engine room but it was the classy finishing of Melligan and Henriksen that stole the headlines.

That was once a bit of pre-match confusion had been sorted out when Harriers mistakenly named Andy Bishop in attack on the teamsheet, instead of Drewe Broughton.

To Torquay boss Leroy Rosenior's credit, he did not make a song and a dance of it, leaving Harriers to correct their administrative slip-up just in the nick of time.

The home side gradually gained control after a frantic opening and opposing keeper Kevin Dearden quickly realised it would be a challenging afternoon.

Dearden misjudged the flight of the ball on 10 minutes after Williams had flicked a Melligan cross goalwards but the crossbar intervened to the former Wrexham man's relief.

Harriers failed to make the most of several dangerous situations before Melligan's brilliance conjured a goal out of much less.

The Irish U-21s international dipped a superb lob over Dearden on 20 minutes following good link-up play between Henriksen and Sam Shilton.

Stunned Torquay quickly made a change in personnel with Jo Kuffour replacing Tony Bedeau and switched to a 3-5-2 formation.

But they were quickly caught out on 32 minutes when Adie Smith's pass over the defence let in Melligan from wide and his drive was clawed away by Dearden.

Torquay failed to muster a single shot on target and Harriers' Scott was particularly to thank for a last-ditch challenge on top scorer David Graham as he shaped to shoot.

The visitors were sent out early for the second half with Rosenior admitting his players' legs were like "lead weights".

They were kept to shots from distance throughout the last 45 minutes with Martin Gritton's 83rd-minute drive the closest as it thumped off Fraser Digby's woodwork.

But Harriers were already two ahead through another prime example of Henriksen's class on 69 minutes.

The Danish forward controlled Broughton's flick-on and turned to direct a fantastic 14th goal of the season past Dearden from 20 yards.

Comfortable Kidderminster eased home with Williams only denied a deserved goal by Dearden's late tip-over.

HARRIERS: Digby 6; Smith 7, Scott 8, Hinton 7; Bennett 6, Melligan 8, WILLIAMS 9, Flynn 7, Shilton 7; Broughton 6 (Foster 82), Henriksen 7 (Bishop 82). Subs not used: Brock, Parrish, Ayres.

TORQUAY: Dearden; Amankwaah, Hazell, Canoville, Woozley; Bedeau (Kuffour 25), Russell, Fowler, Hill (Wills 46); Gritton, Graham (Hockley 75). Subs not used: Van Heusden, Benefield.

ATTENDANCE: 3,039.

SHOTS ON: Harriers 6, Torquay 0.

SHOTS OFF: Harriers 6, Torquay 7.

CORNERS: Harriers 10, Torquay 2.

GOALS: Melligan 20, Henriksen 69.

YELLOW CARDS: None.

SHUTTLE STAR MAN: Danny Williams. Though John Melligan and Bo Henriksen provided the classy finishes, Williams was again a star in the engine room. Displaying his usual commitment and energy, he did not give Torquay any time to settle and is also one of the best passers at the club.