Competition: Blue Square Premier
Weather at kick-off: rain
Goals: Holroyd 13', Hatswell 31'

First half goals from Chris Holroyd and Wayne Hatswell set United on the way to a comfortable victory over Kidderminster.

Martin Ling made two changes from Sunday's win over Lincoln United, with Dan Gleeson returning from suspension in place of Rory McAuley and Andy Parkinson taking the place of the injured Courtney Pitt. Young winger Jordan Patrick was named amongst the substitutes.

Kidderminster boss Mark Yates was without suspended pair Lee Baker and Chris McPhee, so Peterborough loanee Daniel Andrew made an instant debut at left back while Robbie Matthews returned from suspension to take his place in the side at the expense of Aaron Farrell.

The match began with a minute's applause for United fans Adam Taylor and Daniel Marsh, who died recently, and attacking the Newmarket Road end, United made a bright start. After two minutes Anthony Tonkin's cross from the left found Chris Holroyd free in the box, but he could only guide his header into the arms of the keeper.

Holroyd took an early whack to the shin as United tried to break, and from the resulting free kick Willmott, playing wide on the left, overhit his cross and found the arms of the keeper.

But United continued to press, and in the fifth minute good play from Carden and Gleeson found Parkinson, who cut inside his man but saw his shot parried by the keeper, with a defender heading the rebound behind for a corner, which was repelled by the visiting defence. Then a good break from Reason saw him release Willmott, but again the final cross was easily claimed by visiting keeper Dean Coleman.

There was a stoppage in play when Danny Potter went down with what looked like an ankle injury, but after receiving lengthy treatment from Greg Reid he was able to continue. Good play from Parkinson saw him nutmeg United old boy Darryl Knights, who blocked him off to give United a free kick which was squandered.

Kidderminster threatened for the first time in the 12th minute through top scorer Matthew Barnes-Homer, but he shot wide from a good position and moments later United were ahead.

Carden's pass over the top found Jai Reason, who raced clear of the defence and from the byline looped a cross over Coleman, which Chris Holroyd headed into the empty net from close range.

The visitors won their first corner when Dan Gleeson blocked a Smikle cross, but the same player was alert to head clear when Knights swung over the flag kick. But Harriers had found some momentum, and it took a great double challenge from Brian Saah to stop Barnes-Homer as he burst through on the edge of the box.

But in the 24th minute the former Leyton Orient man almost scored a calamitous own goal, shinning the ball inches wide of the far post after a tussle with the burly Robbie Matthews. The resulting corner saw Smikle find space in the box and his header was dipping under the bar before Potter intervened, finger-tipping the ball over the top. The second corner was easily dealt with by the defence.

United were struggling to maintain possession, but Coleman almost handed them a second goal, taking a loose touch and just managing to clear the ball ahead of the waiting Holroyd. However, Kidderminster soon resumed their assault on Danny Potter's goal, with skipper Dean Bennett half volleying a Knights cross into the South Stand.

However, it was the home fans who were celebrating the next goal. A break down the left in the 31st minute saw Reason brought down for a free kick. Willmott's outswinging cross landed perfectly onto the head of ex-Harrier Wayne Hatswell, who glanced a header across Coleman and into the far corner to give United some breathing space.

The goal clearly shook the visiting players, none more so than Coleman, who scuffed a series of clearances straight back to U's players. The third occasion saw him land the ball straight at the feet of Parkinson, whose cross was volleyed into the side netting by Willmott, although the flag was up for offside anyway.

It took a good block from Tonkin to deny Matthews as Kiddy looked to get back into the match, but their possession rarely got further than the edge of the 18-yard box as the United defence held firm.

First half injury time saw Gavin Caines go in the book after a tussle with Holroyd in the left corner. This resulted in a free kick, which Willmott took, unleashing a tremendous cross-cum-shot which was goalbound until Coleman palmed it over the bar at the end of a pleasing half from a United perspective.

Half time: 2-0

The visitors made one change at the start of the second half, with winger David McDermott replacing John Finnegan. They won an early corner when Saah miscued a clearance, but this was dealt with by the defence and seconds later United had a flag kick of their own when Parkinson's cross was blocked behind but Willmott's cross was smuggled clear.

Knights had looked dangerous in the first half for the visitors, playing just off the front two, and he broke forward in the 50th minute but blasted his shot wide. More good play from Knights led to Hatswell fouling Matthews to concede a free kick 35 yard from goal, which was chipped over to the far post where Courtney headed the ball across but Barnes-Homer couldn't apply the finishing touch.

The Harriers top scorer also shot over after United failed to deal with a corner, while at the other end Crow was off target with a half volley.

Kidderminster were in the ascendancy once more, and after some penalty box pinball the ball broke to Knights, who drew a good save from Potter from the edge of the box. Then a corner from the left found Riley, who got his head to the ball but could only guide it across the face of goal and wide to the relief of the fans in the Newmarket Road End.

Play was becoming increasingly scrappy, with free kicks coming at regular intervals and Dan Gleeson was next in the book for a foul on Barnes-Homer. The U's defence enjoyed a brief respite when a sweeping move from left to right culminated in the lively Reason controlling the ball near the byline and blasting an angled shot into the side netting.

Then determined play from Holroyd in the 70th minute saw him win the ball off Courtney on the left, but with no one in support he cut into the area and shot well over from an acute angle. Soon afterwards Reason was booked for dissent after Holroyd was penalised for his challenge on Bennett.

Martin Ling decided to freshen things up in the 76th minute, taking off Holroyd, who received a rapturous reception from most of the 3,508 crowd. He was replaced by Lee Phillips who got in on the action straight away, nearly breaking through but slipping over at the crucial moment.

In the 83rd minute Crow and Phillips combined to fashion a glorious chance for Parkinson, arriving unmarked inside the box but blasting over with the goal at his mercy. A minute later United made their second change, with Sam Ives replacing Robbie Willmott. Coleman then almost handed United a third, dropping what should have been a routine catch, but Crow was unable to force the ball home.

With time running out, Kidderminster thought they had found a way back into the match when Matthews turned the ball in from a couple of yards out, only for the referee to rule the goal out for pushing. Knights was booked for a trip on Carden before United had a goal of their own chalked off - Crow turning the ball in after Reason's shot had been parried by the keeper but being denied by the offside flag.

A final change saw Rory McAuley take the field, with Parkinson going off, and the youth system graduate made an immediate impact with a determined run down the right, winning his side a throw. There was time for a final booking, for Kidderminster's Bennett, before the final whistle sounded and confirmed United's second successive win.

Cambridge United: Danny Potter, Dan Gleeson, Anthony Tonkin, Brian Saah, Wayne Hatswell, Paul Carden Jai Reason, Robbie Willmott (Sam Ives 84'), Andy Parkinson (Rory McAuley 90'), Chris Holroyd (Lee Phillips 76'), Danny Crow.
Subs not used: Jordan Patrick, Jon Challinor.

Booked: Gleeson 61 (foul), Reason 73 (dissent).

Kidderminster Harriers: Dean Coleman, Duane Courtney, John Finnegan (David McDermott 46'), Gavin Caines, Martin Riley, Dean Bennett, Matthew Barnes-Homer, Daryl Knights, Brian Smikle, Robbie Matthews, Daniel Andrews.
Subs not used: Thomas Sharpe, Aaron Farrell, Nathan Heywood, Liam Dolman.

Booked: Caines 45 (foul), Knights 89 (foul), Matthews 85, Bennett 90 (unsporting behaviour).

Man of the Match: Jai Reason - An all action display which saw him create the first goal and provide good support to the front men

Referee: Mr S. Burt

Attendance: 3,508 (away 141)

Matthew Gooding