Harriers set to rack up the miles

Kidderminster Harriers hit the road to Barrow today expecting matters on the pitch to be not the only tough task to overcome in the coming days.

Harriers make the long trip north to Cumbria for tonight's re-arranged Blue Square Premier match, and will not arrive back in Worcestershire until the early hours of tomorrow morning after a 360-mile round trip.

Then for Saturday's game the players again head north for another arduous journey to Gateshead, a 460-mile round trip.

Such is the financial situation at Aggborough that paying for the squad to stay where they play for the double-header would severely eat into the coffers, with the club likely to be out of pocket to the tune of thousands of pounds.

Boss Steve Burr may also be without Duane Courtney for the journey, with the defender struggling with an ankle injury. Assistant boss John Finnigan continues to be a major doubt with a calf problem, although may be fit enough to figure at Gateshead. Winger Brian Smikle is also a slight worry after tweaking his ankle.

Burr takes his team to Holker Street to face a Bluebirds side hovering above the relegation trapdoor, despite reaching the final of the FA Trophy with Harriers dumped out on the other side of the semi-finals.

And, thus, the manager is warning his side to get ready for a fight.

He said: "Barrow is a tough place to go and, to be honest with you, I am quite surprised at where they find themselves. They are quite a strong outfit, and maybe getting to Wembley has distracted them from the league.

"We have got two games now against teams fighting for their lives to stay in the division, so that is going to make it even more difficult. Teams at the bottom will give their all to get out of where they are.

"It's down to us to combat that."