KIDDERMINSTER Harriers end the festive period nervously looking over their shoulders at the Nationwide Conference relegation places after a string of mistakes and missed chances saw them go down 3-0 at Altrincham today.

It was something of a bizarre afternoon if the truth be told with Harriers having chance after chance on goal, and dominating play for large periods of the game.
It was the hosts who took their chances though, with Collin Little grabbing a brace and Rod Thornley also getting in on the action.

They took the lead after just 11 minutes but it was the visitors who came quickest out the blocks with Iyseden Christie forcing a reaction save from Stuart Coburn and Lee Thompson blazing over after latching onto his strike partner's header.

The game got its first goal when Thornley shipped a free-kick into the area that was saved by Danby, making his return to the side. He'll want to forget the moment though, after he was only able to palm the ball into the path of LITTLE who fired home from close-range.

After that, Harriers were back on the ascendancy with Michael Blackwood and Gareth Sheldon doing close with free-kick efforts.
Christie forced another good save on the half hour mark, his low shot at goal triggered a goalmouth scramble in which Thompson and Simon Heslop both went close before Terry Fleming fired appallingly wide.

Barely six minutes later Altrincham's lead was double as Danby could only manage to blast a routine clearance into the body of THORNLEY who was then left with the simple task of slotting the ball into the back of the empty net.

Martin O'Connor's troops took charge of the game for most of the second half but for all their work and build-up play, the ever-important cutting edge still lacked.
Heslop fired a shot straight at the 'keeper five minutes after the re-start whilst shortly afterwards Simon Russell (above) was brought on in place of Sheldon to make his first appearance for the club since breaking his wrist back in early November.

His introduction lifted Harriers if just a little as the pressed and pressed in search of a goal to put themselves within a shout of getting something from the clash. After just two touches of the ball, Russell forced a save from Coburn.

Blackwood continued to penetrate the home defence on numerous occasions to float balls into the danger zone, but with Christie, Fleming, Heslop and Thompson all missing chances you just got the feeling that today wasn't to be a KHFC-day.

The game was put beyond all doubt when LITTLE rose highest past a static defence to head home a simple corner for Altrincham's third.

The visitors did get the ball in the net five minutes before the end as the relentless Thompson headed home from close range only to have the effort flagged away for offside, his frustrations getting the better of him as he was then booked for dissent.

Altrincham 3-0 Kidderminster Harriers (HT 2-0)
Venue: Moss Lane
Attendance: 1,165
Referee: Amy Reyner (Leics)

Altrincham: Coburn, Aspinall, Band, Rose, Scott, Murphy (Lugsden 66), Bushell, Peyton, Chalmers (Robinson 52), Little, Thornley (Potts 61).

Subs Not Used: McFadden, Owen.

Harriers: Danby, Flynn, Jackson, Burgess, Hatswell, Fleming, Blackwood, Sheldon (Russell 63), Heslop, Christie, Thompson.

Subs Not Used: Wilson, Graves, Penn, Hurren.