Kidderminster 0 Oxford Utd 2
Kidderminster boss Mark Yates blasted Staffordshire referee Oliver Langford for a string of controversial decisions which included the sending off Harriers' leading scorer James Constable.
Kidderminster boss Mark Yates blasted Staffordshire referee Oliver Langford for a string of controversial decisions which included the sending off Harriers' leading scorer James Constable.
The former Walsall striker saw red on 33 minutes before Oxford were also reduced to ten men when midfielder Carl Pettefer was dismissed just ahead of the interval.
Yates was also angry with Langford for turning down first-half penalty appeals when Barry Quinn appeared to cut down Michael Blackwood as he prepared to shoot.
The action-packed clash also included an injury to Harriers' midfielder Gavin Hurren who was led off with blood streaming down his face after a nasty clash with U's midfielder Eddie Hutchinson, who was booked.
Oxford won with goals from debutants Matt Green and Ashley Barnes to end Kidderminster's unbeaten four-match run and leave them in mid-table obscurity.
Afterwards, Yates vented his frustrations by blaming Langford for having "a massive influence on the game. That disappoints me."
Regarding Constable's dismissal, Yates said he would look at the match video before deciding whether to appeal against the red card which was dished out for allegedly elbowing full-back James Clarke.
He said: "We'll have a look at it. If Constable has elbowed him then he's let us down big time.
"But he assures me he's done nothing and that their lad has banged into the back of him and, apparently, he's laughed at James and the decision while he was on the floor.
"If that's the case, then that's not good. We'll wait and see what we can do when we've seen the video."
The blood-and-thunder encounter began to boil up following Hurren's 12th-minute injury.
On 25 minutes Harriers were unlucky when a glancing header from Justin Richards rebounded off the underside of the bar, but after that he was all downhill for Yates' men.
They fell behind to a 31st minute goal from Green and within a couple of minutes Constable was on his way back to the dressing room.
Pettefer followed a similar route in the 43rd minute when his tackle on Michael McGrath was deemed by Langford to be worthy of a red card.
The dismissal came just a couple of minutes after Kidderminster had been unsuccessful in their strong appeals for a penalty.
Substitute Barnes sealed the points for Oxford in the 69th minute to enabled his side to move a point ahead of Harriers who now have to pick themselves up for Saturday's tough FA Cup second round proper tie at Dagenham & Redbridge.
Kidderminster: Bevan; Bignot (Barnes-Home, 46), Creighton, Whitehead, Blackwood; Penn, Hurren (McGrath, 16, Christie, 72), Ferrell, Russell; Richards, Constable. Subs: Coleman, Smikle.
Oxford: Turley; Clarke, Quinn, Foster, Jeannin; Anaclet (Willmott, 80), Hitchinson, Petterfer, Trainer; Obubade (Barnes, 51), Green (Twigg, 58). Subs: Warrell, Ledgister.
Referee: Oliver Langford (Staffs). Attendance: 2,025.
