MARK Yates has praised the efforts of his players in yesterday's win at Altrincham, the 1-0 success coming despite the fact that Harriers' were without four first-team stars.

Harriers started the game without top performers Iyseden Christie and Jonny Harkness through injury and Russell Penn through suspension, and they were joined in the dugout by Gavin Hurren who was forced off with a hamstring problem.

The likes of Jake Sedgemore and Brian Smikle started in their place, though, and did the job admirably.

"After about 10 minutes of the game we had four major players from our first team sat behind me," Yates told harriers.co.uk today.

"That was a little worrying, but credit to the lads who came in and did well and got us three points.

"We know we're short in one or two areas and I thought the performance was a hard-working one and I thought we played some very good stuff in the first 25 minutes.

"Credit to Altrincham, they threw everything at us in the second half and we just couldn't get a foothold on the game, but we showed the determination and resilience to keep another clean sheet."

Harriers are next in action on Saturday when Braintree come to Aggborough for an FA Carlsberg Trophy tie that Yates dubbed as 'massive.'

In the meantime, though, he admitted the troops will be given a day or two to recover from a January that's yielded a 100% record in league and Trophy action.

"We'll look this week to see if we can strengthen and add to the squad and get a couple of the injured lads back and hopefully we'll have one or two more available next weekend," he added.

"The Tamworth game being called off is actually a blessing in disguise, we're going to give the lads a couple of days to recuperate before we step things up ahead of the Braintree game.

"We have got a few tired bodies and they deserve a couple of days rest and we'll give that to them but won't be taking Braintree lightly because Saturday is a massive game for us, and we'll prepare properly."

I see no reason why we should go out and lose games but we're nowhere near arrogant enough to think it will never happen, that's not what we're about and not what I'm about...

James Constable returns to Walsall this week with his immediate future now up for discussion with Yates keen to speak with Richard Money about the possibly of a return to Aggborough for the striker.

If a move doesn't materialise, though, the manager was keen to place on record his thanks to the player.

He continued: "If that turns out to be his last game for us then I'd like to say a massive thank-you.

"We're trying to keeping here for longer and we'll be talking to Walsall about that but James has been a part of a team that has won games and got points and wants to achieve something, he, and they have been a credit to themselves and this football club."

Yates also stressed that he wanted to set the record straight over a quote that appeared in print over the weekend which claimed he'd said he couldn't see an end in sight to Harriers' impressive recent run.

"I read the quote attributed to me in the non-league paper today and was a little bit annoyed - of course I'm not silly enough to think we won't get beaten before the end of the season," Yates insisted. "All I said was that I didn't want the run to end."

"I see no reason why we should go out and lose games but we're nowhere near arrogant enough to think it will never happen, that's not what we're about and not what I'm about ."

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