Harriers 2
Wrexham 0

HITMAN Robbie Matthews bagged the first goal of his Harriers career to slay Dean Saunders’ Welsh Dragons on a Tuesday night where the positives piled-up for the hosts.

The 6ft 4in tall hitman gave the home fans a show of his capabilities with a fine all-round display and also killed off battling ten-men Wrexham with Harriers’ second goal.

The 27-year-old’s sweet strike was the icing on a particularly large cake for the Aggborough outfit’s management team, on a night when everything came together.

Victory also showed that the division’s biggest clubs must fear making the trip to Harriers’ home.

While it has not quite been a fortress this season, the likes of Mansfield and now Wrexham have returned home pointless, while Kettering were lucky to grab an undeserved victory in August.

But if Harriers can produce this kind of display week-in, week-out and importantly have all of their key players appearing regularly, then they can gatecrash Blue Square Premier’s top five.

Matthews, who missed a host of matches with groin problems, is one of those key players.

He played a pivotal role as Harriers had to show patience to break down the massed ranks of Wrexham’s defence.

The away side had been reduced to ten men in the 16th minute, after midfielder Silvio Spann was shown a straight red card for scything down David McDermott with a wreckless two-footed challenge.

McDermott was stretchered off, but it transpired after the match that he had not sustained a serious injury.

The hosts had seen a lot of the ball but apart from a rising Duane Courtney shot, had not tested keeper Chris Maxwell at all.

Matthews had a goal disallowed for a foul in the box at the end of the first half and came close with a deft header just after the break. He had a hand in the home side’s opener in the 50th minute.

The towering forward’s aerial supremacy was evident when he headed Lee Baker’s raking delivery across the face of goal and Brian Smikle grabbed his sixth strike of the season with a clean first-time effort that flew into the back of the net.

Matthews showed his deftness of touch and devastating power five minutes later by lashing a stinging shot from the edge of the area beyond a helpless Maxwell, after a driving run by Smikle had sliced open the Welsh side.

His performance was matched by the return of midfielder John Finnigan, making his first appearance since he hobbled off with an ankle problem in the loss to Eastbourne six games before.

The 33-year-old’s composed passing ensured the home side were able build the pressure on Wrexham’s determined rearguard action and then pulled the strings once they made the breakthrough.

Keeper Dean Coleman also impressed and on an overall quiet night made two vital contributions.

Before Spann’s sending off, he produced a brilliant full-stretch save, clawing away Curtis Obeng’s swerving 30-yard effort to keep the scores level.

He then denied Wrexham any hope of a late fight back with a double save. Coleman got down smartly to block substitute Adrian Cieselwicz’s effort before putting off Mike Williams as he fired the follow-up into the side netting.

After the game Mark Yates was delighted to see one of his big summer signings bag that all-important first goal since he signed from Salisbury in August.

“Our first goal really settled us and after that I thought we were superb,” commented a delighted manager.

“I thought some of the football we played was very good.

“Sometimes it is difficult to break down ten men but credit to the lads, they scored two goals and could have had quite a few more.

“I am delighted for Robbie [Matthews]. All strikers need goals, particularly the first one. It was a great strike and finish and that killed the game.”

Harriers: Coleman 8; Courtney 7; McPhee 7; Riley 7; Baker 7; McDermott (Hadley, 19 (Hayward, 75)); FINNIGAN 9 (Dolman, 82); Smikle 8; Knights 7; Matthews 8; Barnes-Homer 7. Unused substitutes: Dolman; Sharpe; Farrell.

Wrexham: Maxwell; Obeng; Jones; Assoumani; Marc Williams; Taylor; Sinclair; Spann; Fleming (Cieslewicz, 73); Sakho (Baynes 51); Smith (Taboui, 78). Unused substitutes: Mike Williams; Taylor. Referee: Jake Collins (Merseyside). Attendance: 1,585 (270).