Rowe double sinks Hyde (From Kidderminster Shuttle)

Rowe double sinks Hyde

9:49pm Tuesday 9th October 2012 in News

Harriers 3,  Hyde 0

RYAN Rowe bagged a brace as Harriers made short work of  bottom side Hyde at Aggborough on Tuesday night.

Midfielder James Vincent had fired Steve Burr's side ahead as the hosts tore Hyde apart in a dominant first half.

Rowe then finished with aplomb but as Harriers sat back in the second period, Hyde tried to hit back.

The striker sealed all three points in the 94th minute to make it three wins from the last four games and make it nine unbeaten.

Against the division's bottom side this was a chance for Harriers to get into positive goal difference and they roared into a 2-0 lead inside 25 minutes.

Nathan Blissett was impressing and he showed skill to cushion a lovely ball into the path of Vincent, who checked to his right and rifled a 20-yard shot into the back of the net in the 16th minute.

Centre back Chey Dunkley then saw his looping far post header hit the bar.

But striker Rowe made it five goals in four games seven minutes later when he pounced on keeper Ashley Firth's short pass and slotted home coolly from a tight angle.

Harriers' biggest weakness was complacency and Mickey Demetriou's poor back pass fell to Ryan Crowther on the edge of the box but captain Keith Briggs made a well-timed block.

On-loan Luton midfielder Adam Watkins was impressing on his first home start for Harriers and his fine header was tipped over by Firth.

The midfielder then saw a low drilled effort hit the base of the post.

Anthony Malbon nearly scored a third when he raced onto Demetriou's through ball but instead of shooting first time he took an extra touch and allowed Firth to snuff out the danger.

Hyde tried to battle back and Liam Tomsett steered a shot across goal late in the first half.

Rowe flashed an effort wide after the break but as Harriers sat back, Hyde desperately pushed forward searching for a lifeline.

The arrival of substitutes Phil Jeavons and Stefan Cox injected the away side with some spark and keeper Nathan Vaughan was at full stretch to get a hand to David Poole's shot.

Burr made a change of his own when he replaced Malbon with winger Marvin Johnson in the 67th minute.

Jamies Spencer then had an effort blocked by Harriers' alert keeper.

But the home side suffered a setback when defensive rock Josh Gowling, who was their player of the month for September, was carried off on a stretcher and replaced by Mike Williams.

Harriers were struggling to find their fluency but Firth had to be alert in the 81st minute to block a fine cross from Lee Vaughan which Rowe had raced to the back post to meet.

The hosts continued to probe but lacked the killer ball to grab a third decisive goal but after a coming through a Hyde fight back, looked comfortable.

But Rowe ensured victory in the 94th minute, slotting home after being set up by substitute Kyle Storer.

Harriers: N Vaughan, L Vaughan, Demetriou, Vincent (Storer, 79), Rowe, Malbon (Johnson, 67), Blissett, Briggs, Dunkley, Watkins, Gowling (Williams, 70).

Subs: Lewis, Peniket.

Hyde: Firth, Brizell, Lomax, Dennis (Pearson, 20), Ashworth, Moses (Cox, 57), Poole, Tomsett, Byrne (Jeavons, 57), Spencer, Crowther.

Subs: Brown, Williams.

Referee : Adam Bromley. Attendance: 1,457 (36)