Harriers 3, Cheltenham 0

IMPRESSIVE Harriers completed their pre-season programme with a rousing win over SkyBet League Two side Cheltenham Town on Saturday.

 First half goals for Nathan Blissett, Jack Byrne and Craig Reid ensured the Aggborough outfit recorded their second pre-season win of the summer.

But it was a good work out for Kidderminster, who start the Vanarama Conference Premier at Lincoln City next Saturday against strong opposition.

Harriers welcomed back a host of familiar faces to Aggborough, including former manager and current Robins boss Mark Yates and right back Lee Vaughan, who move from Worcestershire to the Gloucestershire neighbours this summer.

Kidderminster fielded free agent Kevin Nicholson for the second game in a row, further fuelling the club's hopes of signing the experienced left-back on a  permanent deal.

The host started swiftly and Town keeper Trevor Carson was called into a ton 27 seconds after kick-off when he parried Reid's effort.

But Blissett opened the scoring in the sixth minute, when the powerhouse ploughed through a crowd of players purposefully and fired in a firm effort which took a deflection before beating keeper Carson.

Blissett saw a form dipping effort tipped over by Town's over worked keeper in the 16th minute.

The visitors slowly battled back into the game and in the half hour mark, Danny Lewis scrambled to save Matt Richard's 20-yard effort.

Chey Dunkley made a crucial intervention minutes later when he headed Richards' fine cross away.

But two goals in four minutes stunned Cheltenham.

First, Ahmed Obeng accepted Blissett's downward header, shook of a challenge and fed Byrne, who side footed int the back of the net in the 37th minute.

Lee Vaughan, who moved from Kidderminster to Cheltenham during the summer, then caught Obeng with a heavy late challenge but his rashness was  punished when Reid swept home Nicholson's clever free-kick in the 41st minute.

Overworked keeper Carson then saved from Nicholson's free-kick as Kidderminster went into the break 3-0 up.

The second half could not match the first in terms of goal mouth incident as the game became disrupted by a host of substitutions.

Cheltenham edged the second period without really testing Lewis.

Harriers' keeper got a hand to Terry Gornell's shot in the 66th minute.

At the other end of the pitch, Callum Gittings saw well-hit strike from distance fly just wide.

But the game fizzled out as the hosts started to turn their attentions to the 2014-15 campaign.

Harriers: Lewis (Singh, 83), Hodgkiss, Gowling, Dunkley, Nicholson, Byrne, Gittings (Grimes, 89), Obeng (Hales, 55), Blissett (Styche, 65), Reid (Gash, 65), Storer (Green, 77).

Cheltenham: Carson, Vaughan, Brown, Elliott (Deaman, 83), Richards (Arthur, 66), Harrison, Gornell (Dale, 87), Hall (Hanks, 65), Black (Braham-Barrett, 46), Sterling-James (Howarth, 65).

Subs not used: Bedwell.

Referee: Marvyn Amphlett.

Attendance: 815 (93)