Eastbourne 2 Harriers 3
Kidderminster Harriers' second successive away victory lifted them to within three points of Blue Square Premier Division leaders Crawley Town.
Kidderminster Harriers' second successive away victory lifted them to within three points of Blue Square Premier Division leaders Crawley Town.
Harriers went into the game with an unchanged starting 11 for the seventh successive game.
Leading marksman Justin Richards finished a flowing five-man move to give the visitors a 13th-minute lead, firing inside Lee Hook's right post to convert Brian Smikle's pull back.
It was Smikle who doubled the lead, when he flung himself full length at the far post to head home Martin Brittain's right-wing cross into the net ,via the underside of the bar, eight minutes before the interval.
Eastbourne, without a win in four previous league fixtures, were more determined after the break and in the 59th minute reduced the arrears. Neil Jenkins' centre was guided beyond Adam Bartlett by leading scorer Andy Atkin.
Harriers were quick to respond – the home side failed to deal with Martin Brittain's 61st minute corner, Russell Penn teed up fellow midfielder Andy Ferrell and his blistering 25-yard left footer flew past the bewildered Hook inside the left-hand upright.
The home side were not finished, a triple substitution on 66 minutes seeing the introduction of Nathan Crabb, Pat Harding and Simon Wormull.
Almost immediately they made an impact. Crabb raced clear to deliver a cross for his brother Matt, who coolly applied a right-footed drive back across keeper Bartlett and in to set up an exciting final 20 minutes.
The Sports' keeper Hook produced some quality saves to keep out efforts from Russ Penn, Matthew Barnes-Homer and Justin Richards, as the game opened up and the home side took a gamble in trying to gain a share of the
The visiting defence were in no mood to concede another goal as Luke Jones and Mark Creighton stood firm against the onslaught to ensure Harriers' seventh win from their last nine games.
Harriers: Bartlett, Lowe, Baker, Creighton, Jones, Brittain (MacKenzie 81), Penn, Ferrell, Smikle (Bennett 89), Richards, Barnes-Homer (Knights 84).
Subs not used: McDermott, Coleman.
