Yates: Home form all important

Kidderminster manager Mark Yates believes that his side must turn Aggborough into a fortress if they are to be successful in the Blue Square Premier this season.

The Harriers continued their strong home form with a 1-0 win against much-fancied Oxford on Saturday, with striker Matthew Barnes-Homer netting the decider in the first-half.

So far four out of the five home games at Aggborough have ended with a Harriers win and the one blemish - an opening day home draw with promoted Lewes - was a game most conceded should have been a Kidderminster win.

Yates knows the importance of home form for any side.

He said: "We have got to make sure we build on this and turn Aggborough into a fortress. We have beaten some decent teams here so far and anybody will tell you that any successful run is built on a good home record.

"If we hadn't had a blip at Grays, we would be in an even better position. But we are where we are. The boys have just got to make sure we keep doing what we are doing.

"The strangest thing is that we beat one of the fancied sides in the league in Oxford without really being at our best. The side will play better than that over the course of the season.

"There are plenty of positives to be taken from what we have done so far."