Fleet picked up their second successive point at home as Nathan Elder’s powerful header wiped out the visitors’ 28th-minute opener.
Welcoming Craig Stone and Liam Bellamy back into the fold, there was no place for Phil Walsh or Neil Barrett, while the Fleet faithful got their first sight of Louie Soares at home. And they must have been impressed as the on-loan Grimsby wide man was at the heart of everything creative as Fleet enjoyed probably their best opening spell of the season.
Desperate for the points, the home side put Kidderminster under plenty of early pressure and inside the first three minutes, Moses Ashikodi powered into the box and set up Nathan Elder but Cheyenne Dunkley managed to steal the ball away as the big Fleet striker was ready to pounce. On six minutes Joe Howe did terrifically to thread his way through a host of Harriers defenders and his ball in fell to Tom Phipp who forced Nathan Vaughan into a smart save.
The Harriers keeper was in decent form but a minute later he would have been powerless to prevent Elder heading the Fleet in front; unfortunately, the No.9 planted Stone’s inviting cross just over the bar when well placed. And on 18 minutes Vaughan again thwarted a good Fleet attack when Liam Bellamy powered ahead of two defenders and attempted to curl a shot around the goalkeeper who palmed it wide. Soares picked up the loose ball and struck a sweet low shot that shaved the near post and Vaughan looked to have helped it on its way but a goal kick was the only reward.
Harriers weren’t completely on the back foot, however, and twice they flighted balls across the goal that had Fleet’s hearts in mouth, the first missed by Anthony Malbon and the second hit low and just wide by Ryan Rowe. Back came the Fleet and Soares again fired low towards the post, with Vaughan just spilling the ball to safety for a corner.
On 28 minutes another Fleet attack was ended when Phipp had his legs taken away from him on the edge of the box but the referee played an advantage – an unfortunate one as far as the home side were concerned because they lost possession. The powerful Nathan Blissett charged through the middle and laid a ball off to Malbon who fired home past Preston Edwards.
That lead lasted only six minutes for the Harriers. Fleet forced a corner and from Soares’ floated cross, Elder rose high to send a bullet of a header flying into the net for his sixth goal of the season. The visitors were again pegged back but sought to exploit the Fleet forward momentum and right on half-time they had three shots in quick succession as the ball bounced around the home box before Ram Marwa cleared with a hasty
