A battling performance from Harriers gained them a point at Brisbane Road and stretched their unbeaten run to three games despite playing most of the second half with just ten men.  Mark Yates' late penalty also preserved Harriers' unbeaten record at Brisbane Road.

Without the suspended Scott Stamps Jan Molby opted to move Craig Hinton to left back and restored Matt Gadsby to the line-up after his recovery from a stomach strain.  There was no place in the squad for Bo Henriksen despite his return fitness and his succesful midweek run-out in the friendly with Hereford.

The opening exchanges of the game were quite open with both sides seeing plenty of the ball but with the home team probably edging it in the first twenty minutes.  There was not much goalmouth action, however, and the major incident of that spell was the loss of Gadsby stretchered off with a leg injury after a horrific challenge from Orient's David Hunt to be replaced by Sean Parrish.  Parrish was then caught out in the build up to the opening goal of the game; Tom Newey crossed deep from the left to Donny Barnard on tthe opposite flank, Parrish had been pulled inside and the ball evaded him, Barnard crossed back into the danger area where Gary Alexander had been left unmarked and was able to rise unchallenged to head past Stuart Brock.

The half brightened in the closing minutes; a long kick from Brock found Dean Bennett, he broke into hte penalty area on the right but his low cross was cleared.  Next, a deep Hinton cross from the right was nodded back across goal at the far post by Dean Keates to John Williams who headed over from close range when it seemed easier to score.  Finally, deep in stoppage time a free kick just outside the penalty area taken by Adam Murray deflected off the wall to Bennett who fired the ball back into the goalmouth but it was held by Orient keeper Glenn Morris.

Early in the second half a quiet game suddenly exploded into life.  Harriers had possession and the ball was played down the left wing for Ian Foster, he crossed into the danger area, Morris came to collect it but was challenged heavily by Yates, the balldropped to Murray who headed it in but the goal was disallowed for Yates' challenge.  The Orient players took exception to Yates' attack on Morris and a mass brawl ensued with players from both sides involved.  In a seperate fight Hunt and Dean Keates appeared to head butt each other and after the fighting was quelled referee Tanner showed both players the red card.  Mr Tanner obviously felt that he needed to do some more writing because Yates' name went into the book also and in the next 34 minutes a further seven players had their names taken.

Shortly afterwards Orient thought that they had doubled their advantage when Jabo Ibehre bundled the ball in from close range at a corner but the referee had seen a foul in the build up and disallowed it.  Harriers appeared to cope with having ten men far better than Orient did and even switched to a more attacking formation to try and get back into the game, Jesper Christiansen was sent on in place of Foster.  A flicked through ball from Bennett set Christiansen free of the defence and clean through on goal but at the crucial moment the big Dane did his best impression of Bambi on ice and stood on the ball and fell to the ground in an ungainly heap and the chance was gone.

Fifteen minutes from time Harriers felt that they should have had a penalty when Parrish was scythed down by Morris but the referee waved play on.  Five minutes later, however, he had no choice but to point to the spot when John Williams jinked his way into the penalty area only to be brought down by Morris who was lucky to escape with just a yellow card.  Yates stepped forward to take the kick and slotted it low to Morris' left with the young keepe only just failing to get his fingertips to the ball.

Harriers pressed on even more in hte closing stages in search of the winning goal.  In stoppage time Christiansen broke clear again and fed the ball out to Bennett on the right wing.  Bennett's cross then eveaded the Orient defence and dropped to Christiansen who showed a lack of confidence when instead of bringing the ball down and shooting himself opted to try and chest it back to Yates and the danger was cleared.  Deep into time added on Ibehre almost snatched victory for the home team but headed over the bar from close range.