KIDDERMINSTER player/coach Jimmy O’Connor hailed hat-trick hero Ashley Chambers after seeing his side put Nuneaton to the sword.

Chambers ended a three-month goal drought when netting three times against the league’s bottom side at Aggborough.

His goals and another thanks to Joe Ironside’s second-half penalty handed Harriers a 4-1 success and lifted them closer to the play-off places.

O’Connor, who has been assisting boss Mark Yates on the training pitch, said: “Chambo has probably got his rewards today for what he’s been doing for the last weeks and months at the club really. His work-rate has been phenomenal.

“He’s had a bit of a barren run and that’s difficult for any striker but he hasn’t changed his work-rate and his application day-in, day-out and I think for him to get his hat-trick today - the day after his birthday - is great for him and you could see what it meant to the lads as well. They all know how important he is to the side.”

On the overall showing from Harriers, he added: “I think the performance throughout was good. We had a bit of a setback in the first half but again we reacted in the right ways.

“That’s what you have to do in football, you have to react to everything positively.

“There is a lot of belief there. When you go 1-0 up against bottom of the league and then get pegged back, it can go one of two ways. We didn’t panic, we knew what we had to do second half and I think we ended up coming away with a comfortable win.

“It was never going to be an easy game, we had to make sure we put them under the pressure to make sure we came away with the result we ended up getting.”

Kidderminster now head to league leaders Chorley next weekend.

“I’ve been saying ever since I came to the club that I think every team offers their own challenge at this level,” said O’Connor.

“Every game’s tough and we go there knowing full well that it’s going to be a big challenge but one we’re really looking forward to now on the back of a couple of really decent results.”