Yates: Your season starts here

Kidderminster manager Mark Yates has told his players "your season starts here" as the Harriers look firmly forward to getting their campaign up and running.

The Harriers have yet to win in three games of the Blue Square Premier so far, an opening day draw with promoted Lewes preceding away defeats at Cambridge and Mansfield.

It was a 4-2 defeat at Field Mill on Saturday that really got Yates fuming, but even after such a defensive calamity the boss is upbeat.

He did indicate that changes would be afoot when they welcomed reprieved Altrincham to Aggborough on Saturday, a game that the Harriers are widely expected to win, against a side with four points to show from their efforts so far.

He said: "Our season has started now and we've got to get it right. I'll have had a good look at myself and the players have got to look at themselves.

"I told the team in the dressing room on Saturday that we've gifted teams eight points already this season. At Mansfield, I had a few choice words with one or two at half-time. I wanted a reaction and I certainly got that -we were by far the better team in the second half.

"The first-half defensive performance was poor, and that angers me even more because we've been working on that. Perhaps I picked the wrong team to start the game with?

"Defenders have got to get back to keeping clean sheets and limiting people's chances, otherwise it's going to be a tough one."