HARRIERS picked up a much-needed three points with a 1-0 win at Curzon Ashton in National League North. 

The Reds extended their recent run to one defeat in seven games but, crucially, bagged a victory to throw into that mix with a superb rearguard at the Tameside Stadium.

Though it was the defending that sealed the win in the final stages, the three points also owed much to the attacking play that came before it as Harriers dominated much of the game.

Within the first three minutes there had been two good chances - Nat Knight-Percival seeing an effort deflected behind for a corner, from which Byrne shot at goal, Chris Renshaw making the save.

Byrne supplied Ashley Hemmings from a ninth-minute free kick, Renshaw again required to beat the ball away.

The game then settled into more of a battle - including the loss of Joe Foulkes to injury as a result of a poor challenge from Curzon's Walker.

Amari Morgan-Smith was still well placed to give Harriers a half-time lead but, with Bearne in a good position, went for goal and was denied by  a smart block.

Josh Hancock had the hosts' first sight of goal on the stroke of half time, but found Tom Palmer equal to his low shot.

Harriers really squeezed Curzon at the start of the second half and, after Kai Lissimore had seen a shot held and Tom Owen-Evans had watched Renshaw tip a volley over the bar, the goal arrived with just nine on the clock - Jack Bearne's ball controlled by Reiss McNally and nudged by Owen-Evans into the path of Knight-Percival who turned it home from close range.

Alex Penny, on for Foulkes, then had an effort fly over the target before Renshaw denied Lissimore once more with 14 minutes left to play.

11 minutes later, Curzon's Walker fired firmly at Palmer from inside the area and was denied by a good save, before Palmer's opposite number did equal to keep out another effort from Lissimore.

In the end, some five minutes of added time were played, and in the fourth of those Curzon thought they'd found an equaliser when Jayden Cambpell nudged a header past Palmer - Krystian Pearce scrambling back to clear the ball from the line.