Torquay 0
Harriers 1

KEEPER Adam Bartlett turned from zero to hero as his last-gasp penalty save ensured Harriers left Devon with all three points on Sunday.

Bartlett made up for his own goal against Forest Green on Boxing Day with a superlative performance, which culminated in a 93rd minute save to deny Tom Sills from the spot.

Harriers also produced their most competitive performance of recent weeks but it took a determined rearguard action to keep dominant Torquay at bay.

Defender Martin Riley put the visitors ahead against the run of play from a corner in the 73rd minute, which was enough to secure victory and a league double over the Gulls.

Victory ensured that Harriers bounced back from disappointing results against Crawley and Forest Green over Christmas and signalled they’re still very much one of the Blue Square Premier’s promotion challengers.

Manager Mark Yates made two changes to the side which drew at home to Forest Green on Boxing Day.

Winger Brian Smikle and defender Luke Jones were dropped to the bench and were replaced by captain Mark Creighton and Russ Penn.

Penn was moved to the left wing, with Andy Ferrell playing in central midfield alongside Dean Bennett.

The visitors were under pressure from the kick-off when striker Matthew Green sped past Martin Riley to latch onto Sills’ slide-rule pass but screwed his shot wide.

Harriers continued to weather heavy pressure from the Gulls and Bartlett did well to get a hand to Sills’ rising shot.

The away side began to battle back into the game and gain a foothold in midfield but still struggled to create any chances.

Martin Brittain saw a free-kick fly wide of shot-stopper Scott Bevan’s goal, while left-back Lee Baker saw a long range effort fly over the bar.

While Harriers were seeing more of the ball, the forward line of Justin Richards and Matthew Barnes-Homer were starved of scoring chances.

In contrast, Torquay were more lively in attack but their finishing could not match their approach play.

Green held off Riley to find space for a shot but guided a low effort into Bartlett’s welcoming arms.

Winger Wayne Carlisle stole into the box and was allowed to reach Kevin Nicholson’s cross but headed over the bar.

Near the end of the first half Lee Baker’s cross troubled Bevan, before the shot-stopper collected the ball under pressure from Barnes-Homer.

Harriers went into the break lucky to be on level terms and then made a slow start to the second half.

Nicky Wroe flashed a fine effort from the edge of the box just over Bartlett’s bar.

Bartlett did well to keep the scores level in the 56th minute when he made a point-blank save to deny Carlisle.

Harriers were growing in confidence and Barnes-Homer powered down the right wing but was blocked by Bevan, who rushed a long way out of his area.

Despite being impeded, the striker delivered a low cross and Ferrell saw his shot from the edge of the area blocked by Nicholson.

The visitors were defending doggedly and Bartlett somehow stretched out a hand to deny Chris Hargreaves’s shot across the box.

While Bartlett was kept busy, at the other end former Harriers’ keeper Bevan was enjoying a quiet game on the day he signed an 18-month contract to stay at the Gulls.

The towering keeper had not had a real save to make, so it must have been extra galling when Riley grabbed his second goal in as many games for the embattled away side.

Barnes-Homer forced their first corner of the game after a strong run down the left wing.

From the set-piece, Creighton knocked down Brittain’s effort into the path of Riley.

Despite slipping as he shot, the defender scooped a powerful effort into the roof of the net.

The away team could have gone 2-0 up minutes later when Barnes-Homer sped past Nicky Wroe but shot off target.

Torquay then threw everything including the kitchen sink at well-drilled Harriers in a bid to find a goal.

Harriers defended well despite the barrage of corners and free-kicks but their efforts looked to be undone in the 93nd minute when the referee awarded the hosts a dubious penalty.

Nicholson’s throw-in had been handled by Gulls defender Lee Hodges in Harriers’ box, but the official blew for a penalty, despite the protestations of the visiting players.

But Bartlett was the hero again for the visitors and he flung himself to the left to push Sills’ low shot behind.

For the Harriers fans who had made the long trip and coped with the freezing conditions, it felt as though justice had been done.

The result means Harriers go into their FA Cup third round clash at Coventry City on Saturday with confidence sky-high.

Harriers: Bartlett; Baker; Creighton; Riley; Lowe; Ferrell; Bennett; Penn; Brittain (Smikle, 78); Barnes-Homer (Beardsley, 94); Richards (Jones, 88) . Unused substitutes:Moore; Coleman.

Torquay: Bevan; Nicholson; Woods; Mansell; Sills; Wroe; Hargreaves; Carlisle; Hodges; Green (Benyon, 66); Stevens (Thomson, 79). Unused substitutes: Brough; Robertson; Adams.

Referee: SP Beck. Attendance: 2,749.