Harriers 1, Barnet 0

SUCH has been Harriers’ revival even the BBC’s former king of the swing-o-meter Peter Snow would be impressed.

Michael Gash’s 60th minute winner on Saturday earned three points and thrust them back into the race for the play-offs.

Just two weeks ago all hope of a top-five finish in the Skrill Premier seemed gone but seven points from nine has turned the situation on its head.

Even more importantly, this was the Reds’ first victory over a side in the top five and in doing so thrust them closer to the promised land.

Barnet had enjoyed the best of the first half but for all their slick passing they did little to test Harriers’ re-galvanised defence.

Their best chances fell to talented play maker Kieron Cadogan but Danny Lewis did well to divert his 35th minute free-kick over the bar.

At the start of the second half he fired a snap shot straight Lee Vaughan, who was diligently carrying out his defensive duties.

The former Cambridge hitman Gash demonstrated his impressive hold up play and vision throughout and then made it 13 goals in all competitions with a chip which flew into the back of the net with the aid of a deflection.

With defender Josh Gowling inspirational, the hosts had the best of the second half.

Barnet’s task was made even more difficult when keeper Graham Stack was shown a straight red card in the 82nd minute.

He had rushed 20-yards out of his goal and after Marvin Johnson had leapt above him, the former Arsenal trainee wildly tried to punch the ball but caught the winger in the head.

Whild said: “We were more like us and when we got the goal we had the likes of Nick Wright and Marvin Johnson causing the opposition problems with their pace.”

HARRIERS: Lewis 7, L Vaughan 7, Demetriou 7, Malbon 7, Grimes 7, Jackman 6, Gittings 6 (Johnson, 81), Morgan-Smith 6, O’Keefe 6 (Byrne, 54), Gash 7 (Wright 70), GOWLING 8. Subs not used: N Vaughan, Bell.

BARNET: Stack, Yiadom, Weston, Crawford, Abdulla (Marsh-Brown, 75), Cadogan (Gamblin, 78), Mengerink, Vilhete, Nurse (Jupp, 83), Stephens, Gjokak. Subs not used: Johnson, Warren.

Referee: Paul Rees (Somerset) Attendance: 1950 (158)