ASSISTANT manager Neil Howarth is confident Kidderminster Harriers can build on their slow start to Blue Square Premier Division and become a force to be reckoned with.

With manager Mark Yates sitting in the stands because of a four match suspension Howarth has been the man leading Harriers from the technical area.

And after watching the Aggborough team blow hot and cold in the 2-1 loss at home to Aldershot on Saturday and Tuesday's 3-1 win at Stafford Rangers, the assistant is confident there will be an improvement.

"It's still very early in the season and there's a long way to go," said Howarth.

"We have only played two games and I don't think you'll see the best of us until six or seven games into the season."

Against Aldershot, Harriers played well in the first half but poor defending allowed the visitors to grab two goals.

Harriers' jittery defending was also on display in the first half at Stafford on Tuesday, but the team bounced back in the second half with a clinical display that sealed all three points.

Howarth said: "We made three excellent scoring chances against Aldershot and on another day we would have put one of them away.

"I think we looked a little disorganised at the back and that's very unusual for us because we pride ourselves on being hard to break down.

"Losing on Saturday made us a bit more nervous against Stafford in the first half and it took us a while to get going. But we got through the first half okay and played very well in the second and took our chances.

"It was a relief to get first win of the season, now we have a base to work on."

Captain Stuart Whitehead could be in contention for a place in Harriers' squad for Saturday's testing game at Grays Athletic.

The defender, whose missed the Stafford game because his wife gave birth on Tuesday, has made a quicker than expected recovery from hernia surgery.

Winger Michael Blackwood is also expected to have recovered from a back injury sustained against Aldershot.

"We have a very tough test coming up at Grays. I've no doubt they will one of the teams who will finish at the top so this will be a hard game," added Howarth.