No friendly game to fill Harriers gap

Kidderminster Harriers manager Steve Burr has confirmed the club will not be arranging a friendly to fill their two-week gap from games.

Harriers signed off for a fortnight after last weekend's win at AFC Wimbledon and are not due back in action until they go to Mansfield in the Blue Square Premier on Saturday week.

But boss Burr wants his players to rest and relax as much as possible, while keeping themselves tuned up in training ahead of their return to the pitch.

The manager has even took the squad to the Cheltenham Festival today for a team-bonding exercise arranged by chairman Mark Serrell, as a reward for an unbeaten 2011 which has seen them march into the play-off places.

Burr is also aware that some of his stars have been playing through the pain for the Harriers cause, with captain Keith Briggs completing a full game at Wimbledon despite still feeling the effects of a hamstring injury, while on-loan striker Sean Canham lasted 63 minutes after a sore Achilles.

Mark Albrighton missed the match all-together with an abscess on his tooth and his defensive cohort, Tom Sharpe, is a long-term injury victim.

And Burr is hoping that the enforced break, due to scheduled opponents Darlington's involvement in the FA Trophy semi-finals, will see three out of those four come right back up to speed.

He said: "We will be ready to play Mansfield next week, but we won't be arranging a friendly. We have just come off the back of a lot of games, so we are probably grateful of the break. And, after we get back, we are going to be full on again with games.

"There's one or two players carrying injuries as well, so it gives them a chance to get over them.

"Keith Briggs and Sean Canham have only just come back while Mark Albrighton has had an abscess on his tooth, so he has had to go into hospital and get it removed."