McDermott not quite there yet

Kidderminster Harriers manager Steve Burr believes winger David McDermott is not quite up to speed in his quest to regain full fitness.

The 22-year-old returned to the first-team squad after a month on loan at Halesowen this week, but did not even make the bench for Tuesday night's 1-0 defeat at home to York.

McDermott was a first-team regular up until December of last year but fell ill and spent two periods in hospital, with ulcers in his stomach and colon that kept him out for action for over two months.

Burr has been patient with the player from the outset but has still to risk him in competitive action, yet would not allow him to stay at the Grove.

That suggests that the manager feels the skillful wide man is not a million miles away, with nine games left of the Blue Square Premier season.

He said: "David has still got a long way to go fitness wise, because he has missed a big chunk of the season with a bad illness.

"But the games he has had for Halesowen has helped, and a sustained period of training with the first team has helped as well."