Loan rangers settled for Harriers
Kidderminster Harriers have decided on the future of five 'loan rangers' for the rest of the season as the team aim to breathe new life into their fading play-off challenge.
Kidderminster Harriers have decided on the future of five 'loan rangers' for the rest of the season as the team aim to breathe new life into their fading play-off challenge.
Boss Steve Burr has extended the loan terms of striker James Lawrie and goalkeeper Ross Atkins from Port Vale and Derby County, while allowing midfield duo Nathan Hayward and Kyle Hadley to join Blue Square North side Redditch.
All four deals have been struck for another month, which will see out the non-league campaign for 2009/10, barring any play-off involvement for Harriers.
That quest will continue tonight against York at Aggborough, with winger David McDermott set to rejoin the squad after returning from a month's loan at Halesowen.
Assistant boss John Finnigan has also started training this week after a calf injury but is unlikely to be risked after four games out, while central defenders Gavin Caines and Martin Riley are playing through the pain barrier with an Achilles injury and a badly bruised toe respectively.
All for a tough assignment against the fifth-placed Minstermen, with a play-off finish all that is left to play for after elimination from the FA Trophy in the semi-final second leg at Stevenage on Saturday.
Some 13 points separate the teams and that is the bridge that needs to be gaped, but Burr and his players are refusing to give up the chase.
He said: "While there is a chance, and it's an outside chance, of us making the play-offs that is what we will go for. It's not beyond us, we need a big effort and a bit of luck on the way, but we have something to target and we need to be ready.
"In the last 10 days we have had Stevenage twice, Luton and now York. They don't come much tougher than that in this division. We just want to finish as high as we can now, and the better the players perform stands them in good stead for next season."
A duel loan move for Hayward, who was interesting Wolves as a youth team player last season, and Hadley will take them up until their contracts expire in the summer, when a decision will be made on their futures.
The manager originally wanted to let them go at the start of the month but lost Finnigan to injury, pressing the need for like-for-like replacement Hayward, before losing Marc Goodfellow and Jack Byrne for the two games with Stevenage as they were cup-tied.
It was when Byrne joined Harriers from Redditch last month that Reds boss Gary Whild first expressed an interest in the soon-to-be-available duo, and his wish has now been granted.
Burr explained: "I have been looking to get these two out on loan for a couple of weeks, but with injuries and having the two players cup-tied it was not possible until now. As young lads they want to be playing, and going to the Blue Square North will be good experience for them.
"I spoke to one or two clubs about them and Gary was happy to take them, as we had talked about it when we were signing Jack."
