Histon 1
Harriers 1

HARD-WORKING Harriers saw two points slip out of their grasp when Histon substitute Craig Hammond bagged a late leveller.

The Aggborough outfit had looked like returning to Worcestershire with all three points when Hammond pounced on an error by Martin Riley to make it 1-1 in the 85th minute.

Before then, Harriers had dealt with all of Histon's spirited but limited attacks.

Manager Mark Yates picked the same side that got the better of Mansfield in the previous games.

Histon started brightly and Harriers seemed to be content to soak up the pressure and hit the home side on the break.

Centreback Gavin Caines did well to win the ball off Joshua Simpson as he tried to pull the trigger, after a fine run down the right wing by Nathaniel Knight-Percival.

Keeper Dean Coleman then denied Knight-Percival from close range, after the hitman had raced onto Craig Pope's pass.

Going forward, Harriers had seen Darryl Knights and Dean Bennett shoot off target from distance but they took the lead with their first real shot on target in the 34th minute.

Darryl Knights slipped the ball to captain Chris McPhee, who slammed a first-time shot into the bottom right had post of keeper Danny Naisbitt.

Coleman then denied Simpson when he dived on his shot at the base of his post.

The visitors almost doubled their lead two minutes into the second half, when McPhee broke free but was denied by Naisbitt.

Harriers had the better of the second half and could have added more goals. Brian Smikle shot at Naisbitt after good work by McPhee.

Smikle thought he had extended Harriers' advantage when he fired into the back of the net, only for it to be ruled out for offside in the 77th minute.

But Harriers were stunned in the 85th minute when Riley slipped as he headed the ball back to his keeper and Hammond stole in, rounded a desparing Coleman and slotted the ball into the back of an empty net.

Harriers' keeper made sure the game ended honours even when he rushed out and blocked Simpson's shot late on.

Harriers: Coleman 6; Baker ;7 Caines 7; Riley 6; Courtney 7; McDermott 6; Bennett 8; Smikle 6; Knights 7; McPhee 8; Barnes-Homer 6.

Unused substitutes: Dolman; Farrell; Sharpe; Hayward; Hadley.

Histon: Nasibitt; Tann; Gwillim; Langston; Bygrave (Barker, 61); Andrews; Frew (Hammond, 59); Pope; Knight-Percival; Simpson; Farrell (Kennedy, 55).

Unused substitutes: Tidswell; Welch.

Referee: David Coote (Notts). Attendance: 744