Harriers 1
Grays 0

TWO weeks before many people up and down this land celebrate a famous resurrection Harriers showed signs they are also returning to life.

After the slow death over the last few months, which destroyed all their hopes this season, Harriers are belatedly blossoming (see picture gallery from game).

Out of the running for the Blue Square Premier play-offs, the Aggborough side are rebuilding their form and confidence for next season with some sparkling football.

If they maintain the high standards of their last two performances then there will certainly be more positives for the club's enduring fans to ponder on and also may win back some of the supporters left jaded by a series of fitful displays.

Harriers produced their most complete performance of the season so far to brush aside Grays.

Manager Mark Yates' troops delivered a totally one-sided victory.

The Aggborough side played with a fluency and confidence that looked almost a million miles away from their lowest point of the season, when they were humbled by Droylsden in January.

While collectively Harriers look a different side, individually once dormant players seem to have burst out of the grey winter top soil and have sprung into life.

Isolated figures such as Dean Bennett and Simon Russell are now playing with purpose and looked comfortable in the new 4-3-3 formation, which has played a prominent role in Harriers' resurgence.

Darryl Knights, on-loan from Yeovil until the end of the season, once again revelled in the hole behind Iyseden Christie and Matthew Barnes-Homer but overall this was an excellent team performance.

On paper Grays were a good indicator of Harriers' new confidence, boasting a mean defensive record but a shot-shy strike force.

But the hosts made a mockery of the visitor's toughness with some nippy, attractive football.

Christie, who had grabbed four goals in the previous five meetings against the Essex side, could have opened the scoring in the eighth minute when he raced on Bennett's excellent slide-rule pass but he was denied by keeper Ross Flitney.

Grays, who had hammered Harriers 5-1 in Essex, offered little going forward, much to the frustration of lone striker Danny Kedwell, who was kept quiet by the steadily improving Luke Jones in defence.

Russ Penn, who mixed industry and his trademark thrusting runs throughout, headed Russell's fizzing cross over the bar in the 19th minute but five minutes later Knights fired the hosts ahead.

Christie slipped the ball to the striker and he side-footed an accurate 20-yard low shot beyond a helpless Flitney into the bottom left corner.

Harriers continued to pin Grays back and bamboozle the hapless visitors with some fizzing passes and incisive football.

Penn powered in from right wing, exchanged passes with Christie on the edge of the box and fired a fierce low shot across the edge of the box just before half-time.

The visitors posed more of a threat in the second period but Simon Downer prodded Michael Standing's free-kick wide, while keeper Chris MacKenzie dived at Jamie Taylor's feet as he raced into the box.

But it was the hosts who probed for a second goal and Penn squandered a glorious chance in the 74th minute after more thrilling football.

Christie wrong-footed Grays' defence when he stepped over Knights' low cross, but the late arriving Penn blazed a first-time effort over the bar.

Harriers pushed for a second goal to kill off the game but Christie and Russell both had chances blocked by Simon Downer, while Knights shot into the side netting after Jamie Stuart's poor header fell to the hitman on the right of the box.

But the visitors could not punish the wayward finishing and Taylor volleyed a 20-yard effort wide in the game's dying minutes.

The crowd, Harriers smallest of the season in the league, applauded their team in appreciation at the feast of football that had been laid before them. It was also their first back-to-back home league wins of the season.

While it would take something special for Harriers to claw themselves back into the play-off reckoning this is the time of year for miracles, isn't it?

Harriers: MacKenzie 6; Kenna 6 (Bignot, 66, 6); Creighton (c) 6; Jones 7; Russell 7; Penn 6; Bennett 7; Barnes-Homer 6; Jeannin 6; Christie 7, KNIGHTS 8 (McGrath, 89).

Grays: Flitney; Sambrook; Goss; Stuart (c); Downer; J Taylor; Kedwell; Ashton (Day, 46); Patterson (Obersteller, 66); Watson (Watson, 41); Standing.

Referee: SP Cummins. Attendance: 1,262.