QUE Sera Sera. Whatever will be, will be. We're going to Wembley. Que Sera Sera.

Blimey, if that's the way Kiddy celebrate a 3-2 defeat at Northwich - just imagine what it will be like if Mark Yates's Harriers heroes win at the home of English football on May 12 - and no, I don't mean Coventry's Ricoh Arena!

Anybody doubting quite how uplifting Saturday's occasion was only needed to look to chairman Barry Norgrove who was quite literally swept off his feet by the joyous celebrations.

And forgive me if I'm mistaken but in the manic melee of Harriers' deliriously happy travelling army I swear I even saw the manager crack a smile!

And so you should, Yatesy, because after inheriting a football club stuck in a rut just 14 months ago you and your players have finally got Kidderminster Harriers believing again.

It's been a hard slog and if ever 90 minutes encapsulated this rollercoaster season for the Aggborough club, then Saturday's nerve-jangling, nail-biting, heart-stopping semi-final second leg epic at Northwich was it.

This tie had more twists and turns than a Simon Russell run and more ups and downs than Iyseden Christie in the box.

If there was a nervousness in the air before kick off then it was carried by a driving wind which soon blew away Kidderminster's first leg advantage.

The manager's pre-match promise to take the game to Northwich certainly rang true as the two scorers from the previous Saturday threatened with headed chances during a storming start from Harriers.

Russell was twice the provider whipping over balls from the right with James Constable - who also spurned a second-minute opening from Russ Penn's pass - forcing Ben Connett into a full stretch tip over and Gavin Hurren nodding wide when he should have hit the target.

If any of those opportunities had gone in the 1,000 strong red and black brigade might have been spared an hour and a half which should have carried a government health warning.

This is Harriers, however, and the five minutes that followed left their Wembley dream about as likely as a Mark Creighton goal - but more of that later.

With the Vics' high balls over the top swirling in the wind the Kidderminster backline looked decidedly shaky.

Steve Burr's men took full advantage by opening the scoring on 11 minutes with Jon McCarthy working the ball down the left to Matthew Shaw who eased past a flat-footed backline to beat Stephen Taylor with an angled finish into the bottom right corner.

Having kept a clean sheet during an assured debut at Oxford - Scott Bevan's young deputy was understandably deflated that his first concession was so costly.

But things went from bad to worse for the former Telford rookie four minutes later when he was let down by his far more experienced defensive colleagues.

With the blustery conditions again causing problems Harriers were guilty of switching off and waiting for an offside flag that never came as Paul Brayson chased down a long ball.

Taylor had no choice but to race from his box and head clear -but the ball dropped kindly to the impressive Carlos Roca who returned it with interest over the keeper's head and into the net from 25 yards out.

Suddenly it was game on again and from being 2-0 up, Harriers were now 2-0 down and level on aggregate.

Whether it was wishful thinking at the time or the beer talking in the Harriers Arms during the cracking evening celebrations, the manager was later to reveal that Roca's rocket strangely settled his nerves.

From being an anxious and agitated figure on the sidelines, Yates insists the Northwich "equaliser" gave him renewed belief that his team would win through in the end.

This positive "triumph-in-the-face-of-adversity" attitude clearly transferred to the pitch because when the going got tough Harriers got going courtesy of impeccable timing from Creighton.

"Cometh the hour, cometh the man" was the boss's response to the centre-half's first goal in a Harriers shirt - although cometh the hour cometh the man mountain might have been more appropriate.

It is a source of mystery how Creighton had failed to nod in a single goal from a series of set piece chances this season.

But the former Sky engineer had his head in the sky when he rose highest to glance in an inch perfect cross from Jonny Harkness after the full back's corner was cleared on 24 minutes.

3-2 to Kidderminster then - which could just as easily have been 3-3 or 4-2 as the action continued to switch from end to end before the break.

Taylor showed great composure to recover from the blow of shipping two early goals and equally good awareness to pounce and gather Brayson's shot from close range after more hesitancy in the Harriers defence on 35 minutes.

And at the other end Russell almost conjured up a repeat of his Oxford winner with a super spot of juggling and a tremendous volley which whistled past the angle of post and bar before extending Connett with a low drive which the keeper collected at the second attempt.

The second half was no less pulsating. Harkness had to rely on the luck of the Irish to remain on the pitch on 55 minutes when he hauled back Brayson and denied what looked to be a clear goalscoring opportunity.

Fortunately the referee sided with Kidderminster on this occasion - although he was later to make amends with the dodgiest of decisions against Yates's men.

The official insisted Stuart Whitehead and co had been in a covering position and Harkness was shown a yellow card with Brayson smashing the 25 yard free kick straight at the wall.

Harriers lived dangerously again when Roca's fierce strike was plucked from under the bar by Taylor who breathed a massive sigh of relief when the same player skied a gilt-edged chance after a rapid counter attack.

Back in Northwich territory Russell, whose finishing was the only fault of an all-action display, screwed a low shot wide while the blond winger spurned a glorious late opportunity when he fired straight at Connett from a one-on-one.

Luckily the predatory Penn was not so profligate and he capped a man-of-the-match display with what proved to be the winner on 69 minutes after a moment of pure class by Christie.

It was ironic that Iyseden, having infuriated the visitors bench by refusing to chase lost causes, was to inspire Harriers by NOT touching the ball during the build up to Kidderminster's second goal.

His sublime step over from Jeff Kenna's pass was just too good for the Northwich defence who were stood helpless as Penn burst through and stroked the ball past Connett.

There was still time for Michael Byrne to flash a free kick just over and Michael Carr to test Taylor with a clean strike from the edge of the area.

But it was referee Graham Laws - who with that surname really should know the rules of the game - that took the Michael deep into stoppage time when he added to the excitement with an implausibly bad penalty award against Harriers.

A handball from substitute Kevin Townson - yes he is a Northwich player - somehow resulted in Laws pointing to the spot and penalising Kidderminster and after the linesman pleaded ignorance Carr drove the ball in the opposite direction to Taylor's dive.

In normal circumstances Yates would have done his nut and Kidderminster would have contested such a pathetic and potentially costly cock-up even if the referee's decision is final.

But these were far from normal circumstances as Harriers held on for a famous aggregate victory and the only final decision an ecstatic Aggborough is now awaiting is official confirmation of a dream May 12 date at the new Wembley.


Northwich (4-4-2): Connett, Battersby, Charnock, Griffiths, Smart (Townson 82); McCarthy (Barwick 26), Carr, Roberts, Roca (Byrne 72); Brayson, Shaw. Subs not used: Senior, Mayman.


Harriers (4-4-2): S Taylor 7, Kenna 7, Creighton 8, Whitehead 7, Harkness 7; Russell 8, Penn 9, Hurren 7 (Sedgemore 72, 7), Blackwood 8; Christie 7, Constable 7 (Reynolds 86). Subs: White, Hay, Smikle.


Referee: G Laws (Tyne and Wear).

Attendance: 2,129.