Harriers bounced back from defeat against Luton Town with a victory against a stubborn Crawley side, and this time it was Harriers who benefited from a late, late, goal.

With Robbie Matthews out through suspension and skipper Chris McPhee injured Harriers were forced into making changes to the side; Mark Yates gave rookie striker Aaron Farrell his first start and reinstated Gavin Caines to the starting line-up.  Former Harrier Glenn Wilson started in the centre of the defence for Crawley.

The game was a much more low-key affair than the previous one had been but still had some good football played by both sides.  Crawley didn't look as good a side as they usually do but they were still first to show; Callum Willock had already had a shot blocked when Barry Cogan's 12th minute effort was pushed onto the post by Dean Coleman and hacked away to safety by Martin Riley.

Almost straight away at the other end Brian Smikle met a cross from the right by Duane Courtney with a shot that was cleared off the line by Adam Quinn. Just before the half-hour mark a Lee Baker corner from the right found Riley who had a free-header but could only direct it wide of the far post.

Baker was involved again soon afterwards, doing well to ride a couple of challenges to get to the byline on the left; stumbling he still managed to get a cross in but it arrived at the far post with such pace that Farrell didn't have time to control his header and instead headed down into the ground and up over the bar.  By the end of the half Harriers were well on top and should have been ahead; John finnigan was another to waste a good chance, hesitating too long when trying to pick his spot and allowing Simon Rayner in the visitors' goal to save at his feet.

After the break Harriers should have gone on to break the deadlock and win the game but they were let down by poor finishing when they did open up the Crawley defence.  Around the hour Darryl Knights made a good run through the middle before passing to Matt Barnes-Homer on the right wing, he cut inside but his shot was wayward and didn't trouble Rayner.

Rayner almost cost Crawley a goal soon afterwards, fumbling the ball near the edge of the penalty area e allowed Barnes-Homer to take it away from him.  Fortunately for the keeper when Barnes-Homer pulled the ball back from the byline it was one of his defenders who intercepted and cleared for a corner.

Harriers' profligacy in front of goal - in the second half they managed 12 shots at goal but only two of them were on target - looked set to cost them victory.  Farrell had worked hard but his lack of experience showed against the two Crawley central defenders who beat him in the air every time the ball was lobbed up to him; with five minutes to go he was substituted, with Caines being pushed up front in his place.  with time running out the breakthrough finally arrived; Town failed to clear their lines properly and the ball fell to David McDermott, who had been a lively addition following his introduction on 63 minutes, who mis-hit a shot from 25 yards that fell kindly to Caines who took a touch before despatching it past Rayner to win the game.