Harriers 3
Gateshead 2

MATTHEW Barnes-Homer spared leaky Harriers’ blushes against Blue Square Premier strugglers Gateshead with a late winner on Saturday.

Harriers looked to be heading for a disappointing draw after they had thrown away the lead, but Barnes-Homer bagged his fourth goal of the season when he pounced on a defensive slip by Gateshead.

The three points came as a relief to assistant manager Neil Howarth, who had watched his side produce a curate’s egg of a performance, with some enterprising attacking and hesitant defending.

“It was a good three points, but we could do better,” insisted Howarth.

“It was fairly quiet, it’s a two-way thing, the fans need something to get excited about and we need them to make some noise.

“We showed a lot of character to come from a goal down and win the game.

“It’s a good three points but there’s still plenty to work on.”

For once the home team came up against a side whose defensive problems were greater than Harriers’ own lapses at the back and the game escalated into a competition to see who could concede the silliest goals.

With a small turnout from the home fans and only 12 away supporters braving the long trip from the North East, the match had an eerie quality.

It was Harriers who displayed their talent for shooting themselves in the foot first off.

Goalkeeper Dean Coleman has been the Aggborough outfit’s most consistent player so far this campaign but he showed his inexperience in the 12th minute.

He was fooled by man-mountain striker Armand One’s clever dummy in the box and Alex Francis’ swerving free-kick from the left wing slipped past the static goalkeeper.

For a moment, the home team stood stunned, while the Harriers fans behind also couldn’t believe what was going on.

Such was the surprise, even Gateshead’s intrepid fans looked perplexed for a moment before celebrating.

But the dedicated dozen were soon silenced in the 25th minute when Harriers levelled the scores in fortunate manner as Gateshead raised the defensive howlers stakes.

Barnes-Homer raced down the right wing and delivered a fine cross, which was meant for Brian Smikle at the near post, luckily experienced defender Chris Swailes rose above the diminutive hitman and headed the ball into the top corner.

Barnes-Homer and Darryl Knights were at the heart of all of Harriers’ attacks and they combined well to expose Gateshead’s defensive frailties in the 40th minute.

There was an element of luck as the ball seemed to run away from Barnes-Homer as he turned and tried to muscle his way past Craig Baxter, but Smikle pounced on it with relish and slammed a firm effort to the right of keeper Jim Provett.

Harriers defensive indecisivness allowed Gateshead back into a game that the hosts had dominated in the 62nd minute.

Coleman failed to cut out Francis’ initial cross from the right, Wayne Phillips sent it back in from the other flank and the poor clearance fell to the unmarked Kris Gates, who rifled a spectacular 20-yard effort into the back of the net.

Fittingly for a match defined by errors at the back, Harriers had the last laugh with ten minutes of normal time remaining.

Coleman’s goal-kick wasn’t cleared properly by Swailes and Barnes-Homer shrugged Mark Robinson off the ball and beat the keeper.

The predatory strike made up for a bad miss late in the first half, when he shot over the bar from close range.

Before allowing Gateshead back into the game, Harriers had looked as though they were going to run up a big score, with Chris McPhee hitting the post as well.

In the end they needed a bit of luck to record their fourth home win of the season and make it three matches unbeaten.

One cheery note was the return to Aggborough of former Harriers winger Martin Brittain, who watched the game from the sidelines on crutches after his double leg break while playing for Gateshead against Hayes.

Before the game he was given a rousing round of applause by the home fans.

Harriers: Coleman 6; Courtney 6; Caines 6; Riley 6; Baker 7; McDermott 6 (Hadley, 75); Bennett 5 (Hayward, 19, 7); Smikle 6; Knights 8 (Farrell, 92); Barnes-Homer 8; McPhee. Unused substitutes: Dolman; Sharpe.

Gateshead: Provett; Baxter (N McDermott, 46); Robinson; Gate; Turnbull; Armstrong; Francis (Harwood, 67); Swailes; Cave; Mackay; One (Phillips, 46).Unused substitutes: Farman; Forsyth. Referee: David Bond (Lancs). Attendance: 1,286 (12)