Harriers 3
Lewes 2

DEFENDER Gavin Caines came to sloppy Harriers rescue as he grabbed a 90th minute winner at Aggborough on Tuesday night.

The hosts seemed to be cruising into the third round of the FA Trophy after goals by Darryl Knights and Robbie Matthews had fired them into a 2-1 lead.

But Harriers almost paid for their complacency when the Rooks pulled two goals back.

Caines pounced late on after a goal-mouth scramble to ensure Harriers will meet the winners of Worcester and Carshalton away on Saturday, January 30.

With Harriers expecting to announce a new manager this week, speculation was rife around Aggborough that the new man was watching the game.

Prospective boss Jeff Kenna was certainly present to watch Harriers' first game of the year.

Is this was to be caretaker boss John Finnigan's last match in charge, then he was aiming to end his tenure in style and the home side started positively.

But it took a moment of fortune for Harriers to open the scoring in the 11th minute.

Burly forward Damian Spencer had been fouled just outside the area by defender Chris Breach and there looked to be no danger when Matthews' low free-kick took a wicked deflection off the wall and rolled past wrong-footed keeper Rikki Banks.

The hosts continued to press but struggled to find their sharpness in the final third after a three-week snow-induced break from action.

But they grew in confidence and carved open their Sussex opponents in the 26th and 28th minutes.

Fleet-footed winger Brian Smikle sprinted the length of the pitch after a Lewes corner but instead of shooting, he opted to square the ball to Knights and saw the ball cleared for a corner.

Moments later the livewire created a chance for captain Chris McPhee when he pulled back the ball on the edge of the box but the skipper shot over the bar.

Smikle's pace and intelligent runs was causing Lewes' defence lots of problems and he was denied in the 33rd minute after good play by Knights released Duane Courtney down the right wing.

The full-back curled in a teasing cross which Smikle stooped to head but his effort deflected wide.

Another good chance went begging in the 37th minute, when Smikle delivered a raking low ball which just evaded Matthews, who was sliding in.

Powerhouse hitman Spencer should have opened his account for Harriers in the 42nd minute when he rose through a gaggle of players at the far post to meet Matthews' right wing cross, only to head it into the arms of Banks.

But Harriers doubled their lead six minutes into the second half after growing pressure from the home side.

The visitors were hardly threatening and had to wait until the hour mark to have their first shot on target, when midfielder Jack Walder strode forward and steered a low effort off target.

With the game seemingly in the bag, Harriers stepped down a gear and probed Lewes without testing them.

Lewes substitute Jamie Crellin signalled a warning when he shot wide but the hosts paid the price for some sloppy play when they conceded a goal in the 80th minute.

Martin Riley's poor header back to the keeper was intercepted by substitute Kane Louis, who evaded a desperately scrambling Dean Coleman and found Aaron Hopkinson. The midfielder slotted the ball into an empty net.

But worse was to come in the 84th minute when more porous defending was exposed. Louis Pople easily outpaced the home defence to race onto Louis' pass and lifted a well-placed shot beyond Coleman.

But wobbly Harriers saw their bacon saved in the 90th minute when Caines lashed a shot into the back of the net after a flurry of shots by the home side.

Harriers: Coleman 6; Courtney 6; Baker 6; Caines 6; Riley 5; McPhee 6; Bennett 5 (Hayward, 46); KNIGHTS 8; Smikle 7; Matthews 6 (Farrell, 58); Spencer 6.

Unused substitutes: Finnigan; Singh; Dolman.

Lewes: Banks; Barness; Pearson; Peauroux (Crellin, 62); Breach; Hopkinson; Walder; Rivers (Royce, 64); Foreman (Louis, 56); Royce.

Unused substitutes: Keehan; Sutton.

Referee: Darren Bond (Lancashire). Attendance: 654