KIDDERMINSTER Harriers' young guns have a big chance to stake their claim for a regular place tonight.

All seven players on the bench for Tuesday's 2-0 defeat at Worcester City are likely to start at Rushall Olympic (7.45pm).

Goalkeeper Danny Lewis, left-back Steve Burton, defender Gavin Hurren and midfielders Simon Russell, Laurie Wilson, Jermain Hollis and Russ Penn should all figure.

Boss Stuart Watkiss may also give extra match time to summer signings Gareth Sheldon and Lee Thompson as well as handing promising youth teamers an opportunity.

Last season's Midland Alliance champions Rushall, promoted to the Southern League Division One West, were one of Watkiss' ports of call as a player.

He said: "It will be a good work-out. They helped us out and gave us a pitch when we played Forest Green Rovers in a friendly last season.

"We made a deal that we would send a team to play them. Sheldon and Thompson are a little bit behind the others so they should figure.

"Afterwards, we have two 'proper' games against Bristol Rovers and Hinckley and we want to be nailing a few things down by then."

Watkiss still wants to sign a striker and a left-footed midfielder with the forward line a particularly urgent issue.

But he was not too downhearted by Tuesday's 2-0 defeat at county rivals Worcester, which saw Iyseden Christie alone up front with support from Michael Blackwood and Thompson.

The Harriers manager admitted: "We beat Wolves 2-1 and I certainly wasn't lulled into any false sense of security then.

"So I won't be getting over-upset that we lost at Worcester though we have to take aspects out of the game and improve them.

"With or without new faces, the squad we have here is by no means decided in terms of a starting 11 for the new season. There are a fair few positions up for grabs and a lot of players still have a lot of time to prove themselves."