Harriers began their Conference campaign with a disappointing draw against newly-promoted Lewes, but will be happy to have picked up one point more than they did in their previous two opening-day games.

There were debuts for new signings Adam Bartlett, Michael Bowler and Lee Baker with Martin Brittain, David McDermott and Martin Riley on the bench.  In his first game since returning from loan at Oxford Justin Richards led the attack alongside Darryl Knights in a 4-4-2 formation instead of the 4-3-1-2 used to great effect at the tail-end of last season.

The home side started the stronger against a nervous-looking Lewes side but only had a missed half chance from Bowler to show for their efforts in the first quarter hour.  At the other end Lewes could have settled their nerves with a free-kick in shooting range but James Fraser blasted into the defensive wall.

Harriers broke the deadlock midway through the half; Lewes failed to clear a corner properly and when Andy Ferrell crossed back in from the right Mark Creighton knocked the ball down for Richards to stab in from close range.

As Lewes began to find their feet they often looked dangerous on the break and really should have leveled the scores after 28 minutes; Seb Wallis-Tayler crossed deep from the left, Bartlett could only get a fingertip to it and the ball dropped to Fraser who stabbed it across the face of goal and wide of the far post.  Bartlett redeemed himself shortly afterwards when he saved from close range from Wallis-Tayler and then again from Fraser's follow-up.

Late in the half Harriers could have doubled their advantage; Simon Russell's cross from the left found an unmarked Richards who could only direct his herder straight at Rikki Banks in the Lewes goal.  Three minutes from the break Lewes drew level unexpectedly; a low Craig Richards cross from the right found the Harriers defence missing and Dean Bennett tracking back to cover could only direct the ball past Bartlett into his own good as he stretched to intercept.  Before the break Harriers could have regained the lead but from Ferrell's right-wing corner Luke Jones headed wide at the far post.

After the break the game followed a similar pattern; Harriers enjoyed a large share of the possession but didn't really look dangerous or capable of taking complete control and putting the result beyond doubt, while Lewes still looked nervous when defending although they created some good opportunities going forward.

Banks made a great save ten minutes in to beat away Richards' header from Bowler's right wing cross.  Richards was looking lively throughout and was Harriers' best player for over an hour but was guilty of wasting the best chances of the game.  Shortly afterwards he was within inches of restoring the lead when he narrowly failed to connect with Matthew Barnes-Homer's low cross from the left and then fired over the bar after Barnes-Homer had helped on Baker's left-wing cross.

Fifteen minutes from the end Harriers were almost undone when a long ball over the top of the defence let in Scott Taylor but with the goal at his mercy he shot weakly straight at Bartlett.  The last good chance of the game fell to Harriers; Richards' cross from the right was just a fraction too far ahead of David McDermott at the far post who would probably have done better if he had stretched with his weaker left foot.