Harriers sign Northern Ireland striker

Kidderminster Harriers manager Steve Burr has released Aaron Farrell to free up the funds to bring Northern Ireland striker James Lawrie to Aggborough next week.

Farrell was released at the end of his six-month contract on Wednesday, after 19 appearances for the club since signing from Sutton Coldfield Town last summer.

Now one-cap international Lawrie will come in his place on loan from Port Vale for an initial month, in which the club are likely to only have to part-subsidise the player's wages, rather than the full bill it would have cost to retain Farrell.

Harriers will also not be retaining Damian Spencer when his second month on loan at Aggborough expires after the trip to Eastbourne on March 6.

Burr said: "Damian will be going back to his club at the end of this loan spell, as we couldn't come to an agreement with Kettering in the end to keep him here until the end of the season.

"Maybe we can look at something again in the summer, but he will still have a year on his contract there."

Harriers now host Forest Green tomorrow in the Blue Square Premier looking to take advantage of their visitors, who are struggling in the relegation places.

But Burr only has eyes on his team's play-off charge, with nine points to make up between the play-off places.

He said: "It's the type of game that, if we are going to push into the play-offs, we have to win. We are on a good little bit of a run ourselves at the minute, so hopefully we can continue that. We are just trying to win as many matches as we can, and see where that takes us.

"Forest Green are a side who are battling away in the drop zone, so they will come and make it very difficult for us. But if the lads show the sort of form that they have over the last few games, hopefully they will produce a performance that will get us a win."

Harriers winger David McDermott trained for a full week for the first time in nearly two months in the run-up to the match, after two months out and two spells in hospital with ulcers in his stomach and colon.

But the manager warns the young wide man is some way off a return to the team.

He said: "It's hard to say really when David will be back, it's one of them that we will leave to the physio. It's just great to see him back on the training pitch."

Harriers have also seen their league trip to Chester City on Wednesday night called off, after the troubled Deva Stadium were suspended from the league for seven days at the height of their financial crisis.

Burr added: "It's disappointing for everyone, the league, ourselves and the people at Chester. But it's out of our control and we can't do anything about it.

"I just feel for the supporters down there."