Harriers bag Boxing Day win

Strikes by Gavin Caines and a late Duane Courtney finish ensured the home team saw off the Blue Square Premier's bottom team.

Harriers could have won by a much bigger scoreline against a youthful City side but Finnigan, who was given the job of looking after Harriers when Mark Yates and Neil Howarth departed for Cheltenham, would have been relieved to bag all three points in his first game in charge.

Basement boys Chester fielded a team packed with inexperienced players. With top-scorer Nick Chadwick suspended, the responsibility fell on youngster Lloyd Ellams to bag their goals.

He lashed a low 20-yard effort across goal inside the first minute, before pouncing on a loose pass by Daniel Andrew and firing in an effort that Harriers shot-stopper Dean Coleman blocked at the bottom of his left-hand post.

The home side responded to the away side's early forays, with Robbie Matthews' aerial dominance troubling Chester's defence.

Aaron Farrell saw a shot tipped over by former Harriers keeper John Danby.

Defender Martin Riley then came close from a corner when his header grazed the angle of the bar and post.

He should have been beaten in the 11th minute when Farrell and Brian Smikle combined to carve open Chester but Matthews shot straight at Danby.

But the home side opened the scoring in the 16th minute, when Matthews rose to meet a corner and headed it towards the near-post. Centre back Gavin Caines had time to stoop and nod the ball into the back of the net.

Ellams continued to be a thorn in Harriers' side and he forced Coleman into an athletic finger-tip save after he fired in a long range effort which took a deflection off Caines.

But the hosts threatened to run riot, with Farrell and Matthews both looking dangerous. However, when a second goal did not come the first half fizzled out.

Farrell's epitomised Harriers' malaise in time added on when captain and coach Chris McPhee bustled into the box and squared the ball to the hitman, who failed to react quickly enough and the chance went begging.

The hosts started the second half with more attacking zeal and peppered Chester's goal.

Darryl Knights tested Danby's reactions with a fine low effort from 20-yards out, before the referee blew for offside.

Aaron Farrell did well to release Smikle down the left but as he went to set-up the hitman in the box his pass was blocked by James Owen.

Danby smothered Dean Bennett's firm low effort, while Knights connected with Daniel Andrews' raking cross from the left but couldn't steer it on target.

Finnigan made his move to inject some life into Harriers with two substitutions in the space of five minutes. Nathan Hayward replaced Dean Bennett in midfield, while the vastly experienced Damian Spencer came on for the tiring Farrell.

The changes could not rouse the home team to find another goal and they endured a nervy final 10 minutes.

Both Duane Courtney and Spencer conceded needless free-kicks, which saw efforts from Glenn Rule and Tim Ryan deflected wide.

But the three poitnts were wrapped up by right-back Duane Courtney when he grabbed his second ever Harriers goal in the 89th minute.

Knights' astute pass released Spencer down the right and his cross deflected into the path of the former Burnley man, who swivelled neatly and fired the ball beyond City's keeper.

Brian Smikle could have wrapped up the points in the second minute of time added on but steered it wide.

However, victory ended a four-match run in the league without a win and meant they went into Monday's game at Rushden and Diamonds feeling confident.

Harriers: Coleman; Courtney; Caines; Riley; McPhee; Bennett (Hayward, 69); Knights; Smikle; Farrell (Spencer, 73); Matthews; Andrew.

Unused substitutes: Baker; Singh; Dolman.

Chester: Danby; Roberts; Ryan; Rule; Kelly; Owen; Ellams; Rea (Coluter, 89); Lea; Jones (Davidson, 63) ; Wilkinson.

Unused substitutes: Murphy; Freeman; Rawlinson.

Referee: Ian Smedley (Derbyshire). Attendance: 1,755 (94)