KIDDERMINSTER 2, ALDERSHOT TN 0

ALDERSHOT Town were outworked and outfought as struggling Harriers recorded only their second win of the season.

Manager Barry Smith declared Saturday’s performance “unacceptable” and promised changes for the FA Cup replay against Bradford City as the Shots again failed to take their chances and were blown away by Kidderminster’s blistering start to the second half.

Inspired by new loan signing James McQuilkin, Harriers played with renewed vigour and belief and in the end thoroughly deserved the victory which augmented their only previous win, against Woking on Halloween.

A brief, late resurgence from the visitors rarely threatened to drag them back into the match and on a dank autumnal day Barry Smith’s mood was as dark as the sky.

“I cannot defend that second-half performance. Kidderminster outworked us today and that is a sad indictment of our players. It’s not a standard that I would accept and the boys know that. We’ve again created chances, but we’ve started the second half slowly because the players thought the game would become easy and they could win without raising their game.”

Neither goalkeeper had a serious save to make during a first half of much endeavour but little creativity.

For Aldershot, Dipo Akinyemi stretched to meet Dan Walker’s cross, but could only head over the bar from close range. Richard Brodie directed a header straight at Dean Snedker and, three times in less than a minute, Damon Lathrope had shots charged down.

Another Harriers loanee, Jordan Murphy, was a lively accomplice to McQuilkin, but he too was wayward, as was Jared Hodgkiss with an angled drive.

Immediately from the restart, however, Dave Hockaday’s side seized the initiative before the Shots had mentally re-emerged from the dressing-room. McQuilkin nearly flicked a close-range effort past Phil Smith before the ball was scrambled clear, but on 53 minutes the keeper was beaten.

Murphy evaded the sliding Cheye Alexander on the byline and McQuilkin swept his low pass to the near post into the net.

The second goal, on the hour, was a fine 18-yard finish into the top corner from Ben Whitfield as he ran onto a floated pass by Hodgkiss, but both Luke Oliver and Omar Beckles should have halted him before he reached the penalty area.

Their weak challenges summed up Aldershot’s second half to that point, but with Tom Richards brought on as an attacking left-back and Charlie Walker adding guile up front as one of four strikers, Aldershot at least regained a modicum of impetus.

The final quarter belonged to the visitors, yet they mustered little to truly trouble Snedker. He made three strong saves to deny Charlie Walker from range, while Richards and Lathrope both had shots from 25 yards, but Harriers were far too comfortable.

Kidderminster: Snedker; Hodgkiss, Langmead, Howkins, Young (Jones 78); McQuilkin, Maxwell, Fazlic, Francis-Angol; Murphy, Whitfield (Obusu 89). Subs (not used): Rowe-Turner, Singh, Brown. Booked: Snedker.

Aldershot: Smith; Alexander, Beckles, Oliver (C Walker 63), McGinty; D Walker, Stevenson, Lathrope, Browne (Richards 63); Akinyemi (Hatton 75), Brodie. Subs (not used): Thomas, Gallagher. Booked: Beckles, McGinty.

Referee: Tom Nield.

Attendance: 1,790 (228 away).