A thoroughly professional performance from Harriers earned them their first ever win at Scunthorpe and moved them even closer to mid-table security.  Harriers' win stretched their unbeaten run to four games and was the fourth win in the last six games.

Jan Molby sprang a surprise before kick-off when he named his team with John Danby in place of Stuart Brock for his first ever start and his first appearance since April 1 2002.  The youngster acquitted himself well, keeping a clean sheet, and leaves Molby with a selection problem for the next game at home to Macclesfield Town.  Also missing was Adam Murray who had been relegated to the bench in favour of Sean Parrish.

United opened the game brightly, as expected for the home team, and gave Harriers a scare as early as the third minute when they had a good shout for a penalty turned down; Steve MacLean broke into the penalty area on the right and appeared to be brought down by Adi Viveash, fortunately referee Walton waved play on presumably thrown by the theatricality of MacLean's fall.  Shortly afterwards The Iron were awarded a free kick on the opposite flank which Peter Beagrie took.  The shot beat the wall but Danby was positioned well and beat it down, gratefully grabbing it at the second attempt.

Harriers began to get into the game and deservedly took the lead on eighteen miunutes.  John Williams played the ball in from the right wing to Mark Yates who made a good run forward and fired in a shot from the edge of the penalty area that Tom Evans in the home goal could only parry, Ian Foster was following up and held off his marker and forced the ball owver the line from close range.  The advantage should have been doubled when Williams was put clear on the left wing, his cross to the far post found Parrish but it fell to his weaker foot and he volleyed high and wide.

Harriers were getting on top and soon afterwards were awarded a free kick just outside the penalty area.  An unusually imaginitive routine ended with Dean Keates firing just over the crossbar.  Andy Butler saved the home team with a timely header that cleared Dean Bennett's cross from the right and then Bennett was involved again when Viveash picked him out in space on the right wing with a raking crossfield pass; the winger broke forward and fired a shot narrowly wide of the far post while Parrish was unmarked and calling for the pull-back.  United stirred themselves again in the closing minutes of the half; the dangerous Beagrie was given time to cross from the left and his low ball in found Paul Groves unmarked in the centre but he shot straight at Danby.  In stoppage time Kevin Sharp fired a free kick over the bar from 25 yards out.

Danby was at his best early in the second half when he pushed a close-range Wayne Hatswell miscue over the bar for a corner.  Harriers then scored a second in the 54th minute; Yates played the ball towards the far post from deep on the right, Williams jumped for it but fell under the challenge of his marker but the ball fell nicely to Keates whos volley took a deflection off a defender that kept it out of the reach of Evans.

It was all Harriers now and it was just a question of whether or not they would be able to add to their advantage.  On the hour a ball out of defence found Williams who had plenty of time to turn and find Bennett on the wing, he cut inside and fired in a shot from 20 yards that Evans was able to save.  Scunthorpe were reduced to ten men soon afterwards when Sharp was given his marching orders for a very late challenge on Parrish.

Parrish, playing in the advanced midfield role that used to be given to the likes of Andy Ducros, gradually became more pivotal as the game wore on adn should have done better with a couple of chances that cme his way.  First he was on the end of a swift passing move but shot wide, fortunately the linesman's flag was raised for offside; then Christiansen flicked on a free kick from the right to him but he snatched at his shot a blasted it over the bar.

Scunthorpe's last opportunity to get themselves back into the game came seven minutes from time with a Beagrie free kick that hit the wall and was cleared.  In he last minute a Williams cross from the right found Christiansen beyond the far post and his lob beat Evans but Cliff Byrne got back to hack it off the line.  Byrne was on hand again in stoppage time to bail out his keeper who had gone out to the right back position to field a through ball but was beaten by Scott Rickards whose cross was likely to be turned in at the far post until he cleared it to safety.  Harriers were unable to add to their advantage but gratefully took all the points back home with them.