Harriers Fans Team finally resolved to end a four-and-a-half month wait for a positive home result with a battling performance filled with guile and attrition.

Numerous problems had way-laid preparations to this local derby: key players had been ruled out for reasons varying from injuries and holidays to Wolves season tickets and a rather problematic cheesecake that needed to be baked. Nevertheless, Harriers supremo Mark 'more rum than Patrick Trueman' Connolly was more than equal to solving any dilemmas, utilising a solid 4-4-2 formation with pace to burn and intelligence flowing throughout the team. Numerous nations were represented within the fifteen-man squad: Englishmen, two Welshmen, a thingyney and even Suffolk added to the flair and panache on offer.

The match kicked off in glorious warm weather; a gentle southwesterly breeze cooling the assembling hordes on the terraces of the Lax Lane Arena. Harriers took a deserved early lead following the first of two hotly disputed penalties: wing wizard Pete Lewis beating Telford's goaltender to the ball before seemingly being hauled down. Referee Connolly's perfect positioning and anticipation of the situation made it hard to argue with the decision, and the penalty was slotted home by the Wrexham-residing Merryweather.

The foot was seemingly taken off the proverbial pedal, and mistakes began to creep in across the whole team. Harriers' goalkeeper Brett Caufield was lucky to escape an early chance to recover from his hangover when he handled outside the area - again Connolly was on the spot to inform the incredulent Bucks' that the ball was heading away from goal at the time, hence saving the ex-Spurs custodian. The resultant free-kick rattled the underside of the bar, and Telford drew heart from the effort, forcing Harriers defence - ably marshalled by Ollie Sewell and Christopher Lacey - into a series of well-timed and essential challenges. It was thought that the home side would take a lead into half-time, but their hopes were abashed as Caufield picked up a back-pass, resulting in an indirect free-kick that was blocked but never convincingly cleared, resulting in penalty box pinball and the Salopians on level terms at the turnaround.

The second period saw changes aplenty, and the changing of impetus and tempo from both sides. It was Harriers that reaped their rewards for perseverance as Marc Vaughan used all the experience of his autumnal footballing years to hoodwink both Telford's defence and 'keeper to give Harriers' the lead. This advantage was added to by the livewire Lewis Pountney, who used all his intelligence and knowledge of the Beaufort Scale to gauge the wind direction and send in a cross that somehow ended up in the roof of the AFC net (for a similar goal, see Richie Appleby vs Carlisle (H), 2001/2).

Harriers' advantage was reduced by surely the greatest refereeing injustice seen on a footballing field since Frazer Stretton passed his first officiating course! A perfectly timed challenge by the agile Mike Peplow was unbelievably, despicably and 100% wrongly perceived as a foul, and a penalty was dispatched with aplomb by the Telford kicker to the disbelief of everyone in the ground except the woefully inept Pete Lewis (match report by Mike Peplow).

A moment of magic by Merryweather restored the deficit, a perfectly executed lob from a good 30 yards giving a feeling of finality to proceedings. To their credit, Telford continued to work hard and place Harriers' under pressure, and gained a consolation following a defensive lapse. The game finished 4-3, and the scoreline perhaps was a fair one in light of the effort and entertainment provided by the two sides. For Harriers', workmanlike performances by the whole team from goalkeeper to frontline rendered it difficult to pick a star performer, but a special mention goes to Tom Sharland following his return from a playing spell in Turkey - it was good to see him back in his traditional position and, on a personal note, was good to see a cryptic crossword in the changing room at full-time.

Well done to both teams, and Harriers' will hope to continue their form on away territory next week

Match report courtesy of Mike Peplow

Team - Brett Caufield, Tom Hudson, Ollie Sewell, Nathan Fox, Adam Matthews, Mike Peplow, Chris Lacey, Mark Connolly, Lewis Pountney, Marc Vaughan, Sean Merryweather, Tom Sharland, Dave Williams, Pete Lewis and Ash Jarvis.

Scorers - Sean Merryweather 2, Lewis Pountney and Marc Vaughan

Man of the match - Chris Lacey

More details - www.harriersfansteam.co.uk