Kettering 0
Harriers 2

UNSUNG heroes Duane Courtney and David McDermott ensured improving Harriers ended their hoodoo against the Poppies on Saturday.

Courtney’s first-ever goal for Harriers set them on their way to their first win in Northamptonshire since April 1993.

His opener, just minutes after Kettering had Simon Heslop sent off for two bookable offences, was a key moment and deserved for another fine all-round display.

But the impact of second half substitute McDermott was a managerial masterstroke by Mark Yates.

The 21-year-old had been left on the bench as captain Chris McPhee, back after a three-match ban, had been given the nod ahead of him but the diminutive attacker pressed home his advantage for a regular first-time spot with a fine performance.

He replaced Darryl Knights at half-time, another impressive pint-sized performer in recent weeks, but Courtney felt that Harriers’ squad is better for having both around.

He said: “David [McDermott] and Darryl [Knights] are both very similar players and have got a lot to offer the team.

“David worked hard and created both goals and looked good out there and I think everyone did well throughout. Kettering had their moments but kept solid at the back and defended well.

“Getting the goal definitely affected them and they had to go forward to get something out of the game but it left them open.

“As long as I put the shot across the keeper I knew that if he saved it, somebody else could follow it in but I was always going to shoot.

“I score many goals in training, I’m probably the top goal-scorer in training, but I was happy to get my first goal for Harriers, especially at a tough place like Kettering.”

That Harriers went on to end their four-game losing run against the Poppies and rain on new manager Lee Harper’s parade was impressive after a first-half which the home side had edged.

Matthew Barnes-Homer could have cemented a bright start by Harriers but on two occasions saw good chances to go waste. First, he pounced on a mistake by Kettering captain Ian Roper but looked sluggish and allowed the defender to block his shot.

Another chance went begging when Brian Smikle teed up the in-form hitman, but he clipped his first-time effort over the bar.

The hosts were unlucky not to punish those misses but the woodwork twice came to Harriers’ rescue.

In-form striker Moses Ashikodi, who had already come close with an overhead kick, sped into the box and saw his cross/shot hit the bar.

Heslop, who had picked up a yellow card for a foul on Dean Bennett, came even closer when he raced onto substitute Jean-Paul Marna’s clever pass and hit a firm effort that rattled the underside of the bar.

McDemott’s introduction at the start of the second half gave Harriers some cutting edge and allowed them to dominate.

Centre back Gavin Caines came close with a 30-yard thunderbolt but Kettering’s new player-manager clawed the ball away as it arrowed towards the top left corner.

The away side had to play with 10 men when Heslop was shown a second yellow for a heavy challenge on Martin Riley.

Harriers took advantage — McDermott slipped the ball to Courtney on the edge of the box and his low shot evaded a desperately diving Harper, who had replaced new Peterborough manager Mark Cooper in the Rockingham Road hotseat.

Kettering threw caution to the wind but slick Harriers grabbed their second with a swift counter-attacking move from a home corner. McDermott swept the ball to Barnes-Homer, who had time to pick his spot and slot the ball beyond Harper in the 82nd minute.

The damage was done and Harriers had ended Kettering’s 11-match unbeaten run, but they still had time to draw a fine double save from Harper, who dived at the feet of Smikle and then blocked Dean Bennett’s follow-up.

Harriers: Coleman 6; Courtney 7; Caines 8; Riley 7; McPhee 7; Bennett 7 (Hayward, 94); Barnes-Homer 6 (Farrell, 94); Knights 6 (McDermott, 46m 8); Smikle 7; Matthews 6; Andrew. Unused substitutes: Singh; Dolman.

Kettering: Harper; Roper; Dempster; Green (Marna, 28); Taylor (Fowler, 79); Noubissie; Heslop; Elding; Thomas; Geohaghan; Ashikodi (Spencer, 64). Unused substitutes: Cooper; Boucaud.

Referee: Mark Brown. Attendance: 1,348 (143)