First half goals from Iyseden Christie and Russell Penn were enough to get Harriers a fourth straight league win as they dug in deep to beat Ebbsfleet 2-1 at Aggborough.

Even boss Mark Yates admitted that his side looked tired in the closing stages of this game, but some superb defending helped cling on to a victory after two great goals.

They came in quick succession in the first half, the opening one on just four minutes as CHRISTIE made it 14 for the season. The striker picked up the ball on the edge of the area and held of his man despite being almost wrestled to the ground to fire through the legs of Lance Cronin with a neat finish.

Darryl Knights showed some fantastic running for goal number two - his low cross caused all sorts of problems for the away defence as both Christie and Matthew Barnes-Homer had shots blocked - the ball eventually rolled to the feet of PENN who finally managed to drill past his England C team mate.

Five minutes later it could have been three when Barnes-Homer let fly into the side netting; instead Ebbsfleet pulled a goal back on 27 minutes. Dean Coleman got to a cross with a good punch with the ball falling to Charlie HEARN, who lobbed back towards goal, the ball creeping into the top corner despite the best efforts of  Gavin Hurren and Alex Jeannin on the line.

Simon Russell made a chance all for himself just over ten minutes before the break, beating Cronin with a fine effort from outside the box only to be denied by the crossbar.

Into the second half, and the hosts were certainly being made to withstand an onslaught from Liam Daish's side; George Purcell almost certainly would have scored were it not for the combined efforts of Hurren and Mark Creighton ten minutes after the re-start.

As United kept the ball neatly, Harriers began to tire and Hearn should really have done better when he planted a free header wide on 63 minutes.

The half wore on and Christie was still at the point of the attack for Harriers, forcing a particularly tricky save from Cronin six minutes from time after a surging run on the wing.

Sub Brian Smikle brought the majority of the 1,400 crowd to their feet with his blistering pace in the final minutes, his perfect run and centred ball to Barnes-Homer only cut-out at the last by Darius Charles. The winger then got through on goal himself but fired over from the tightest of angles as his side held on for victory.

The win takes Harriers up to tenth in the table ahead of Saturday's home game with Altrincham.