Harriers' three-game unbeaten home run came to an end after two defensive mistakes cost them the lead, and the points, against high-flying Exeter City who joined Grays at the top of the table.

After putting in a good performance in the last match against Hereford Harriers were unchanged with Iyseden Christie, free from suspension, having to make do with a place on the bench where he was joined by Chris McHale for first time after recovering from the injury that has kept him out all season.

The opening stages of the game were cagey with both teams probing at each other and Harriers were first to show with Simon Russell finding Wayne Hatswell on the left and his deep, hanging, cross picked out Taiwo Atieno who headed wide of the far post.  At the other end danger was coming from Jon Challinor whose long throws were causing problems; his first was flicked on by Chris Todd to the far post where Andy Taylor headed over the bar and then from the opposite flank Challinor found Lee Phillips whose glancing header grazed the bar.

As the half wore on the game became more scrappy as Exeter imposed their direct style of play, forcing Harriers to play the same way, but eventually Harriers began to exert themselves and had some good opportunities to open the scoring.  A Gareth Sheldon corner from the left found skipper Mark Jackson at the far post but his header was blocked for another corner.  By this time Harriers had lost Simon Russell to injury, a heavy fall appeared to leave him with a broken arm; he was replaced by Christie and Sheldon moved onto the left wing.  Sheldon was involved again in the closing minutes of the half, lively against his former club, and forced Paul Jones into action with a low shot from the edge of the penalty area that the keeper pushed away for a corner.  The half ended with a dipping 25-yard shot from Tony Scully that just cleared the bar.

Harriers were quickest off the mark in the second half, playing much quicker than they had in the first period, but it was The Grecians who went closest to scoring first.  A corner from the right was not cleared properly and when the second cross found Craig Farrell at the far post Harriers were saved by Hatswell who blocked the shot.  Harriers went ahead soon afterwards; Atieno flicked on a long clearance and Simon Heslop did well to force his way past the defender to win the ball before tucking a shot low to Jones' right from the edge of the penalty area.

The quality of the game began to improve and it took on the air of a cup-tie.  A long ball from Johnny Mullins set Christie free on the right who cut inside before curling his shot high and wide of the far post.  Next, a long ball down the left flank set Atieno clear who found Hatswell who had made an excellent overlapping run but his cross was held at the near post by Jones.

Exeter were not out of the game yet, however, and could have drawn level when Farrell's free kick got past the wall and was beaten away by Dan Lewis in the Harriers goal.  The respite only lasted a few moments, however, as from another long Challinor throw Todd got his head to the ball an glanced it into the net to level the scores.

Exeter began to push forward more and more as the game wore on and it was only Lewis' quick reactions that prevented them from going ahead on 69 minutes when a cross from the right found Challinor in space but the keeper came out quickly to block his shot.  A long ball forward led to the winning goal; Terry Fleming, caught out, allowed it to go over his head and Tony Scully got in behind to lash it across Lewis into the far corner.  Lewis came to Harriers rescue again in the last few minutes when he beat away Steve Flak's snap-shot as City looked to build upon their lead.