STUART Whitehead has set his sights on clean sheets and keeping his nose clean as Harriers play host to fellow under-achievers Stevenage Borough on Saturday.

The Kidderminster captain is walking a discliplinary tightrope and is one booking away from a suspension having picked up four yellow-cards earlier in the season.

A one-match ban now would come at the worst possible time for Whitehead who is showing glimpses of the form which has made him a solid lower league defender.

"I think I got four bookings after the first seven games and I've been hanging in there for the last 10 or 11 games," he said.

"Obviously one more booking and I'm suspended but I can't really afford to worry too much about that.

"If you let it affect your game you would end up pulling out of certain tackles and you can't do that in a game. I've just got to carry on playing and hope for the best."

By his own admission, the former Carlisle, Darlington and Shrewsbury defender struggled to find his form after arriving from the Gay Meadow club in the summer.

But in recent weeks Whitehead has returned to something approaching his best and he blames ring-rustiness for the slow start to his Kidderminster career.

"At the start of the season I was a bit ropey, but I didn't play a lot of games near the end of last season," he said.

"I didn't play for three months and it took a while to get back in the swing and re-adjust to the pace of the game.

"I was coming into a new team but we're all starting to get used to each other's games now."

Whitehead believes Harriers have the makings of a solid backline with Mark Creighton partnering him in central defence, Scott Bevan in goal and Michael Blackwood and Jeff Kenna at left and right back.

But the 30-year-old skipper admits that their collective efforts are still being undermined by occasional individual errors with the first-half display during Saturday's draw at Exeter the prime example.

"Individually the back four have been putting in good performances but little lapses are costing us goals," he said.

"In the first-half against Exeter the other day we left too many gaps and were under the cosh, but we showed when we went down to 10-men that we can be disciplined and keep a good shape at the back.

"If we can just cut out the errors and start keeping clean sheets then I'm sure we'll win games and climb the league."

Whitehead is expecting a tough test against Stevenage on Saturday and compares Boro to Harriers in the way they have failed to live up to expectations.

"Like us they haven't had the best of starts but they'll still be dangerous," said the Bromsgrove-based centre-half.

"They have had new manager there so it's been a bit of a revolution for them. They were pre-season favourites and I gradually they're starting to show a bit of form.

"If we can do our jobs at the back though I'm sure we've got enough going forward to win the game."