Harriers 2
Mansfield 0

HARRIERS’ formidable home form warmed the fans’ cockles as they gunned down a limited Mansfield side on a bitterly cold Tuesday night.

Second half goals by Keith Lowe and Justin Richards ensured they recorded their 12th home win of the season and their 10th in the Blue Square Premier.

Watched by a hardy group of supporters, the hosts were impressive because they never allowed their heads to drop even when they were frustrated by Billy McEwan’s ultra-cautious outfit.

Nor should they have been. Their excellent home record has imbued Mark Yates’ troops with a self-belief at Aggborough that makes them formidable opponents.

Harriers have the best home record in the league and have now taken 31 points from a possible 36 this season.

This impressive home form is fuelling hopes that they can win promotion to the league this season and their seventh successive home win ensured they took advantage of Torquay’s 4-2 loss at Eastbourne Borough to rise to third place.

In contrast to last season’s fitful home form, Yates and his squad are 10 points better off and eight places higher at the same stage.

For the dedicated Harriers fans, who braved the frosty weather and endured a poor first half, the cementing of their top five place was just reward for the loss of feeling in their fingertips, which even the club’s famous soup struggled to thaw.

Mansfield had former Harriers Gavin Hurren and Alex Jeannin in a defensive minded 4-3-3 formation.

The visitors set out to frustrate the hosts and in a soporific first period they succeeded in stifling them.

For all their pressure in the first period, the hosts huffed and puffed and created little in chances.

The closest they came was when Lee Baker's cross was almost turned in by Jeannin, who wisely left the ball as it flashed across goal.

Russ Penn carved out several good chances but blazed both over the bar.

Harriers though were more determined in the second half and Justin Richards could have fired them into the lead inside the first minute, only for Hurren to clear his low shot off the line.

Penn looked determined to add to his brace against Rushden and after a driving 20-yard run, flashed a fizzing shot just wide of goal.

The only time Harriers’ goalkeeper Adam Bartlett was called into action was when he tipped over Adnam Ahmed’s dipping 20-yard effort.

Substitute David McDermott added some extra zest to the home side and powered to the byline before cutting back a low cross, which missed everyone in the box.

Matthew Barnes-Homer, who had been struggling with an illness, stole in and headed goalwards but was denied by keeper James Annerson, who had been drafted in by the Stags from Sheffield United on an emergency loan.

Harriers though made the breakthrough in the 73rd minute when Lowe rose majestically to head Martin Brittain's cross into the back of the net.

It was the former Wolverhampton Wanderers defender’s first goal for Harriers.

This prompted the hosts to search for a second and captain Mark Creighton lashed in an effort after Mansfield failed to clear a corner, which deflected off a defender.

Victory was ensured in the 85th minute when Russ Penn played in Richards, who fired in a low shot beyond Annerson from 15 yards out.

Harriers: Bartlett 6; Baker 7; Creighton 8; Riley 7; LOWE 9; Smikle 6 (McDermott, 68); Penn 7; Bennett 6 (Ferrell, 44); Brittain 7; Richards 6; Barnes-Homer 6 (Beardsley, 84).

Unused substitutes: Moore; Jones.

Mansfield: Annerson; Moses (Somner, 23); Silk; D'Laryea; O'Hare; Arnold (O'Connor, 66); Lee; Ahmed; Hurren; Jeannin; Sinclair.

Unused substitutes: Kay; Wood; McGhee.

Referee: R Merchant (Staffordshire). Attendance: 1,266 (78)

CLICK THE IMAGE BELOW TO LISTEN TO RUSS PENN'S POSTMATCH INTERVIEW: