Harrier 2
Port Vale 2
HARRIERS wrapped up their pre-season programme with a more than competitive performance against League Two opposition at Aggborough on Saturday.

The home side came from behind thanks to strikes from Chris McPhee and Dean Bennett, before Vale grabbed a second half leveller.

However, Harriers were the better side throughout, with their sharp passing making them look like the Football League outfit, rather than the visitors from the Potteries.

This ensured that the Aggborough outfit ended the summer preparations unbeaten with five wins and three draws, scoring 30 goals and conceding just eight.

Manager Mark Yates left the injured Matthew Barnes-Homer and not yet match fit John Finnigan on the bench, but otherwise fielded his strongest team possible.

This meant that the versatile McPhee started up front, with the tricky Darryl Knights playing behind him, while in central defence trialist Gavin Caines played alongside Martin Riley.

Trialist Jasbir Singh and Jonathan Nanizayamo, who both featured against Worcester last week, were on the bench.

Before kick-off, there was a minute's applause for Sir Bobby Robson, who lost his battle with cancer the day before.

Harriers found themselves trailing in the seventh minute when Vale trialist Jamie Guy finished from close range, after keeper Dean Coleman could only parry Doug Loft's strong shot.

But the home side responded well and McPhee came close to levelling the scores when his well-executed chip crashed off the underside of the bar and was cleared by Lee Collins.

But the versatile attacker was not to be denied and he pounced in the 18th minute. Harriers had been applying pressure on Vale and from the second successive corner the former Weymouth man met Kyle Hadley's delivery with a sweet low volley that flew past keeper Stuart Tomlinson.

After the game lost its way mid-way through the half, but Harriers started to play the better football and took the lead in the 35th minute.

The hosts produced some fine football in the build-up to their second goal and Knights, David McDermott, Brian Smikle and McPhee were all involved before the ball reached Kyle Hadley on the right of the box.

The wideman skipped past Robert Taylor and delivered a good cross which Dean Bennett met with a diving header at the far post that nestles in the back of the net.

Vale manager Micky Adams made a host of changes at the start of the second half, taking off Adam Yates, Louis Dodds and keeper Tomlinson for Sam Stockley, Kris Taylor and Chris Martin.

McPhee almost grabbed his second goal in the 49th minute after good play by Darryl Knights and Brian Smikle but he hammered his low shot wide.

But the away side levelled the scores in the 57th error when Marc Richards pounced on a poor clearance by Dean Bennett and slotted a low shot into an empty net.

Hadley almost put the home team ahead again in the 68th minute but his swerving 25-yard effort deflected wide.

The game became disrupted by a number of substitutions, which saw Finnigan make his debut.

Substitute Liam Dolman tried his luck from distance with a thundering 20-yard strike that went behind for a corner.

McPhee was applauded off for his efforts and replaced by Harriers hopeful Nanizayamo in the 87th minute as Harriers made an encouraging end to their preparations for the Blue Square Premier.

Next week, Harriers kick-off the season at home to newly promoted Hayes and Yeading.

Harriers: Coleman; Courtney (Dolman 57) ; Baker; Caines; Riley; McPhee (Nanizayamo, 87); Bennett; Knights; McDermott (Barnes-Homer, 71); Smikle; Hadley (Finnigan, 71).

Unused substitutes: Singh (GK).

Port Vale: Tomlinson; Griffiths (Martin, 46); McCombe; Loft; Richards (Glover, 65); Yates (Stockley, 46); Dodds (K Taylor, 46); Colins; Owen; Guy (Horsefield, 65); R Taylor.

Unused substitutes: Prosser.

Referee: M Amphlett (West Midlands). Attendance: 536 (70)