HARRIERS banged in three first-half goals to see off Kettering Town 3-0 in a comprehensive National League North win on Saturday.

The win owed much to a fantastic start that saw Harriers fly out of the blocks and dominate the early stages – so much so in fact that, by the time they were ahead after just ten minutes, they’d already been comfortably on top.

Yusifu Ceesay had been an early thorn in the Poppies’ side and, having gone close to finding a way through seconds before, he grabbed the opener with ten on the clock. Latching on to a Hemmings ball forward, he drew goalkeeper Cameron Gregory before firing the ball beyond him into the far corner.

Also every bit as deserved was the second goal that came just eight minutes later. Hemmings was the supplier again, this time from a corner, where Krystian Pearce was on hand to nod the ball into the net for his second of the season.

Great control from Ethan Freemantle on 25 minutes saw him almost net, but Gregory’s good, low save thwarted the youngster, but only for 20 or so minutes. The striker grabbed his fourth of the campaign, turning on Ceesay’s low cross before sliding the ball past Gregory.

That goal came on the stroke of half time and, in all honesty, was the killer blow to Kettering, who never truly troubled Tom Palmer between the sticks afterward. They did, though, have a brace of chances in the first 15 minutes of the second half. They both fell the way of Brad Gascoigne who nodded one effort off target and struck another shot over the bar when well placed.

The second period wasn’t one packed with chances, but Harriers did have opportunities to add to their score. On 71 minutes Zak Brown struck over, before shooting into Gregory’s arms four minutes later.

The best save of the half was again Gregory’s. Martin kept the ball well while cutting inside and looking for space to shoot deep in three minutes of added time. He found it and went for goal, the former Harriers stopper extending himself well to tip the effort over the bar.

The final whistle confirmed the team’s fifth win in seven, and a big success on the road ahead of the journey to Buxton on Tuesday.