Gateshead 0
Harriers 2

CHRIS McPhee put a bad week behind him in some style as his second half brace ensured Harriers returned from the North East with all three points.

The industrious midfielder had endured a nightmare week, having the captaincy taken off him and given to Lee Baker, and seeing a late penalty saved against Rushden and Diamonds on Bank Holiday Monday.

But he showed his determination and Harriers where the goal is with two strikes in seven minutes that saw off plucky relegation battling Gateshead.

Player/coach John Finnigan was the most prominent change to the starting line-up, as manager Steve Burr made a slew of alterations after Thursday night's defeat at Barrow.

Finnigan had missed the last 10 games with a calf injury, but gave Harriers a big lift by starting in central midfield.

Burr dropped Dean Bennett, Jasbir Singh, Darryl Knights and Marc Goodfellow to the bench and restored McPhee, James Lawrie, Tom Sharpe and Ross Atkins to the team.

Harriers faced a side captained by former player Andy Ferrell, and the Tynesiders embodied his tenacity and hard-tackling in the first half as they took the game to the away side.

But the away side found some composure and midfielder Jack Byrne saw a hopeful long-range effort fly over the bar.

As the game went on it developed into a cagey affair, with the hosts happy to press forward and Harriers trying to hit them on the break.

McPhee showed good composure in front of his own goal in the 17th minute, heading a dangerous cross from Andy Parkinson over his own bar.

Gateshead winger Peter Winn also posed a threat to the Worcestershire side. He blazed wide in the 20th minute after a penetrative run into the box and a minute later watched a low effort from the edge of the area skidd past Atkins' left-hand post.

Harriers responded in the 25th minute with their best chance of the half. Lawrie did well to pull the ball back to Robbie Matthews, but his effort deflected wide off centre back Chris Swailes, who had been keeping close tabs on him.

The away side survived by the skin of their teeth on the half hour mark, when they were carved open by Andy Parkinson, but with just Atkins to beat, Winn shot wide of goal.

Finnigan got a sight of goal when Matthews nodded the ball down to him on the edge of the box but his first-time effort flew over the bar.

Burr hauled off Lawrie and Byrne at the start of the second half and brought on top scorer Brian Smikle and the experienced Dean Bennett.

But it was the hosts who almost scored, when Daryl Clare rose well to meet Winn's cross but headed over the bar.

McPhee squandered a fine chance to open the scoring. Smikle found the unmarked midfielder in the box but he completely missed the ball and the opportunity went begging.

However, Gateshead continued to be the better team and substitute Wayne Phillips flashed a low shot across the face of goal.

Harriers grew stronger as the second half wore on and Matthews came within a whisker of scoring in the 68th minute. The hosts were sliced open by Lloyd Kerry and Smikle and Matthews' firm right-footed drive flew past the foot of the post.

Matthews was replaced by Darryl Knights with 17 minutes left and the switch proved to be a masterstroke by Burr as he set up McPhee for Harriers' opening goal.

The substitute's slide-rule pass allowed McPhee to slip into the box unimpeded and turn a cool finish across the keeper in the 74th minute.

He doubled the score in the 81st minute emphatically with a diving header after good work by Knights and Kerry.

That goal was enough to ensure Harriers picked up their first away win in the league of 2010 and their first since the end of November.

Harriers: Atkins; Baker; Riley; Prosser; Sharpe; Kerry; Finnigan; Byrne (Bennett, 46); McPhee; Matthews (Knights, 72); Lawrie (Smikle, 46).

Unused substitutes: Singh; Goodfellow.

Gateshead: Farman; Baxter; Turnbull; Armstrong; Parkinson (Phillips, 33); Swailes; Cave (Jones, 71); Clare; Winn (Hurren, 71); Heckingbottom; Ferrell.

Unused substitutes: Provett; Wake; Hurren.

Referee: Michael Naylor (Sheffield). Attendance: 602