HARRIERS 1 BOURNEMOUTH 0

IAN Britton was happy to point out Kidderminster Harriers have now beaten all of last season's Division Two teams in the current campaign.

And the Harriers manager was especially delighted to see his defence, including two newcomers, keep their first clean sheet since before Christmas on Tuesday night.

While adding the scalp of Bournemouth to Bury, Cambridge United and Wrexham, they are still yet to lose to any of the Division Three new boys.

Harriers deservedly inflicted only Bournemouth's sixth league defeat of the season with Bo Henriksen's header seven minutes from time.

Henriksen, already the first Kidderminster player to break into double figures in this division, now has 12 goals after finally putting away one of his so-called easier chances.

But, like his manager, he was quick to pay tribute to the defence which has taken so much stick lately.

Experienced keeper Fraser Digby made an immediate impression with an excellent reflex save from James Hayter four minutes into the second half.

Digby otherwise had little to do and fellow debutant Dion Scott was partly to thank for that with a solid, no-nonsense display at centre-back.

For once, Harriers rarely looked like conceding a goal, keeping the quick Hayter and wily target-man Steve Fletcher largely in check.

On the offensive side, they bossed the first 20 minutes but failed to take advantage of their shooting opportunities.

Striker Andy Bishop and wideman Dean Bennett were particularly lively, while the midfield ball-winners did their jobs effectively.

Bishop had tested Chris Tardif with a promising 20-yarder on eight minutes and then forced the keeper into a diving save after heading Henriksen's cross goalwards.

Tardif pulled off his best parry to deny Bennett from point-blank range on 15 minutes before fielding weak but well crafted efforts from the same player and Sean Parrish.

But Harriers took their foot off the pedal and Bournemouth's Hayter fired a half-volley weakly into Digby's hands from Warren Cummings' cross on 28 minutes.

Fletcher drilled a shot wide from distance but Harriers gave a reminder of their early threat when Bishop nipped in to lob over the bar from an angle just before the interval.

Though Bournemouth created hardly anything, their one chance of note in the second half forced the best out of Digby.

Left-back Cummings skinned two Harriers' players and pulled the ball back low for Hayter who was denied by the keeper's instinctive save at his near post.

The warning was heeded by Britton's men who patiently searched for a winner to avoid a second goal-less stalemate of the season between the two clubs.

A great forward run by midfielder Parrish on 52 minutes was spotted by Henriksen but the summer signing took his shot too early and lifted the ball over from 18 yards.

Keeper Tardif did well to keep out a dangerous Bennett cross soon after with attackers waiting to pounce.

And Yorkshire referee George Cain waved away appeals for a penalty after Henriksen felt his pass into the box was blocked by Karl Broadhurst's hand.

But Harriers, watched by their lowest league crowd of the season, deservedly broke the deadlock in the 83rd minute with Bennett's excellent cross giving the Danish striker a routine close-range header.

After the last clean sheet at Wrexham in December, they won their next match against Leyton Orient so hopes will be high for Saturday's visit to struggling Carlisle.

HARRIERS: Digby 7; Smith 7, Scott 7, Hinton 7; BENNETT 8, Flynn 7, Williams 7, Parrish 7, Shilton 6 (Ayres 89); Bishop 7 (Broughton 76), Henriksen 7. Subs: Brock, Foster, Melligan.

BOURNEMOUTH: Tardif; Purches, Broadhurst (Foyewa 86), Tindall, Cummings; Elliott, Stock, O'Connor, Thomas (Eribenne 78); Fletcher, Hayter (Holmes 86). Subs: Stewart, Buxton.

ATTENDANCE: 2,157.

SHOTS ON: Harriers 6, Bournemouth 3.

SHOTS OFF: Harriers 8, Bournemouth 5.

CORNERS: Harriers 6, Bournemouth 4.

GOALS: Henriksen 83.

YELLOW CARDS: Harriers 0, Bournemouth 2 (Tindall, O'Connor)

SHUTTLE STAR MAN: Dean Bennett. Supplied Bo Henriksen's winner with an excellent cross and gave a determined, energetic display down the right-hand flank.