Bull’s troops slaughtered

They put a stop to their four-game losing run in style, restored some much-needed confidence and recorded Harriers' biggest win for 12-years.

While Stafford offered little opposition to Harriers, the hosts deserve credit for a performance that never allowed the visitors' leaky defence to settle.

Manager Mark Yates must also have been delighted with the performance of his strike force.

He made the bold decision to use Matthew Barnes-Homer, Iyseden Christie and Darryl Knights in a 4-3-3 formation and the terrific trio linked up to devastating effect to tear apart Stafford's woeful defence.

The last time they fired in six unanswered goals was when they hammered Bath City at Aggborough in the Conference on December 28, 1996, with Harriers' current manager bagging one.

This time Knights was the player who came to the fore, scoring his first goal for the club and pulled the strings for the Aggborough side in a withdrawn role behind the pacey front two.

Stafford manager and Wolverhampton Wanderers goal legend Steve Bull looked on jealously at the trio's movement, purposefulness and eye for goals.

From the start Harriers poured forward and Simon Russell signalled the home side's intent by shooting across goal.

Knights opened the scoring in the 14th minute when Stafford's defence backed off and the on-loan Yeovil man arrowed a low 25-yard shot beyond sluggish keeper Danny Alcock.

Buoyed by the opener Harriers went for the jugular and Christie scored his first goal in nine games after an incisive move down the left wing in the 21st minute.

The industrious Barnes-Homer raced onto Alex Jeannin's long pass and delivered a cross that Christie headed into the back of the net.

Russell ensured victory in the 25th minute when he raced onto Knights' incisive pass and slotted the ball past the keeper.

Harriers poured forward in search of more goals and Knights was revelling in the space conceded by Stafford's clueless defence. His clever pass allowed Christie to round the keeper in the 35th minute and he was brought down by a desperate Alcock.

Somehow Stafford's shot-stopper escaped a booking, despite being the last man, but justice was done when Barnes-Homer slotted the spot-kick to his left to make it two goals in as many games for the 22-year-old.

Harriers smelled blood as the visitor's hapless defence creaked under the pressure and the home side kept up the pacey tempo in the second half.

Keeper Chris MacKenzie had little to do in the game but was a safe pair of hands when called on, making a solid stop to deny Kevin Street.

Normal service was resumed in the 58th minute when Knights pounced on a loose ball, raced to the byline and side-footed a pass to Christie, who had the simple task of making it 5-0 from close range.

Barnes-Homer shot wide after more zippy passing by the hosts, who looked capable of scoring at will.

MacKenzie also did well to keep Harriers' first clean sheet in four games when he beat away Richie Sutton's fierce 25-yard drive.

Russell ensured a miserable night for Stafford, and Alcock, in the 90th minute when Christie's pass left him unmarked on the left of the area and his shot went through the keeper's legs.

Christie almost made it 7-0 in the final minute after Stafford failed to clear substitute Brian Smikle's shot, but the hit man was denied a hat-trick when his fierce effort cannoned off the bar and away to safety.

At the end of the game Harriers' fans applauded their team, who ignited hopes that a season of disappointments can end on a high note, while Stafford stare into the relegation abyss.

Harriers: MacKenzie 6; Kenna; Creighton 6; Jones 6; Russell 7; Penn 6 (Smikle, 85); Bennett 7; Barnes-Homer 7; Jeannin 6 (Harkness, 91); Christie 7; KNIGHTS 8 (McGrath, 77).

Stafford: Alcock; Sutton; Daniel; Sangare; Flynn (Reid, 64); Street; Grayson; Draper; Jarrett; Gibson; Hughes (Shaw, 90).

Referee: SD Tomlinson (Hants).

Attendance: 1,240.