Kidderminster Harriers manager Mark Yates was left to rue two defensive lapses and a lack of sharpness up front for his team's 2-0 defeat on Saturday.

United built on last weekend's confidence-boosting FA Cup win at Lincoln United with two first half headed goals by Chris Holroyd and Wayne Hatswell, then resisted Harriers' second half pressure to seal the win.

Admitted Yates, "We started off really poorly - we didn't look right or have the energy we usually have. We didn't take responsibility in picking up players and they had too much freedom. I thought we sorted it for five minutes, then we didn't stay with the runner and the ball is in the back of the net."

Yates felt his side had chances to get back into the game after Jai Reason set up Holroyd for the 13th minute opener, but former Kidderminster captain Wayne Hatswell's goal from Robbie Willmott's free kick left the visitors with "a mountain to climb".

"We played some really good stuff and created a few chances," he said. "Cambridge are a decent side and played well at times but their second goal was a poor goal to concede again.

"I think the referee got the free kick decision wrong - I don't think it was a free kick for them it should have been for us - but it was a great ball in and Hats has done what he does well, and with the poor marking on our part we were left with a mountain to climb."

Yates' side caused problems for United after the break and Knights and Barnes-Homer both spurned good chances before Knights drew a good save from Danny Potter, while for United Reason and Holroyd could both have extended the lead, but Yates paid credit to the United back line.

"At half time I asked the lads for a big effort and for 15-20 minutes they did what I asked of them.

"We had some right chances and a couple of headers we should have done better with, but their two centre halves got on top again and they saw the game out comfortably."

Harriers thought they had scored near the end when Matthews turned the ball in from a couple of yards out, only for the referee to rule the goal out for pushing, and Yates added, "We thought we'd got the goal back at the end and Danny Potter has told me that his own man clattered him.

"I thought the ref lost it in the last ten minutes he booked too many of our players. Everybody in the ground could see Darryl Knights was pulled back when he was the one who was booked by the referee who was only ten yards away. There wasn't a dirty tackle in the game but every time we went for a tackle we were punished and Darryl's was a shocker."

He concluded, "We haven't been getting the breaks. We aren't the best side in the world but we do what we do well and we are decent, so we just have to work harder and the results will come."

Interview by David Gray

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