TOTALLY FOCUSED - Boss Mark Yates praised Harriers after the 1-0 win.

MARK Yates has hailed last night's performance and victory at Oxford United as the best he's seen since his arrival at the club; and says the bar has now been raised ahead of a crucial end of season run-in.

Harriers' season looks to have been put firmly back on track at an ideal time, with last night's 1-0 win at the Kassam Stadium the side's third consecutive victory.

The visitors passed and played Oxford's title hopes into oblivion and even Us boss Jim Smith admitted Simon Russell's quality strike means his side will now have to work hard to keep hold of even a play-off spot with teams around them, including Harriers, picking up points.

A delighted Yates meanwhile told harriers.co.uk earlier today "Last night was, I think, the best since I've been here.

"I thought we were totally focused, totally committed and we could and should have won by more goals.

"We performed and we were the team creating the chances and having the majority of the play and that's what delighted me.

"Not many teams will go there and beat them in the manner in which we did."

Russell's 86th-minute super-volley left Billy Turley beaten all ends up, and as Yates admitted, it took a bit of Scholesy magic to clinch the win after Harriers' had previously had a hatful of chances.

"We had plenty of chances and the ones we expected to go in didn't go in for us and Simon just showed us what technique he's got.

I gave some players the chance to not play last night but the lads don't want to be rested...

"The goal was worthy of winning any football match and I think it was thoroughly deserved," he added.

The win leaves Harriers tenth in the table, eight points off the play-offs with anything between one and three games in hand over the teams above them.

Combine that with the fact that Harriers are now preparing to go to Northwich on Saturday backed by a reported following of around 500-600 for the FA Carlsberg Trophy Semi-Final, second leg, you can understand why it's been an ideal time for the team to 'raise the bar' as Yates put it.

Emotional scenes for the 180 supporters at Oxford last night saw them sing and applaud their troops as they huddled in the centre of the pitch with the rest of the Kassam Stadium deserted.

"We've raised the bar now; our supporters were great last night and our performance was decent," the boss continued.

"I gave some players the chance to not play last night but the lads don't want to be rested  - that shows the confidence and the belief within the squad and the performance they put in showed what we're about.

"I just told the lads that we'd raised the bar and that we can't mess this week up, we've set a standard and we need to keep raising it and there's no coming off it for the players now.

"They just love playing football, and we're going to keep this momentum going and finish the season properly."