Video: Harriers break 22-game away hoodoo

The 80 Kidderminster Harriers fans who made the journey to Hertfordshire celebrated at the final whistle as though their team had just won the league.

Well that's what it must have felt like as Harriers' winless run of 22 away league games stretching back to January 20, 2015 came to a welcome end.

Goals from Ben Whitfield and an Elton Ngwatala penalty laid to rest the unwanted record and put pressure on fellow strugglers Boreham Wood, in the battle to avoid relegation from the National League Premier.

This was only Harriers' third win of a struggling campaign and it looked very unlikely in an opening spell that saw the home side dominate.

Delano Sam-Yorke and Anthony Jeffrey should have put the home team two-up in the first nine minutes, but goalkeeper Dean Snedker kept out the wind-assisted efforts.

Harriers had carved an opening of their own, Jared Hodgkiss delivering a low right-wing ball into Arthur Gnahoua who side-footed his effort narrowly wide of the right-hand post.

On 21 minutes, a rehearsed free-kick routine saw Harriers forge ahead. Ngwatala laid the ball off for Ben Whitfield to curl a shot around the wall inside James Russell's left upright to net his fourth goal of the season.

Harriers interim manager Colin Gordon was a relieved man and said: "This free-kick routine we were practising for ages and it never looked like it would work.

"In fact, at times the ball didn't actually make it to the goal, even Dean Snedker had to allow one over the line just to see if it would help."

It was Whitfield who turned provider for Gnahoua just seven minutes later but the striker's goalbound effort was somehow cleared off the line by the recovering Danny Woodards.

The home side came out with more urgency in the second period, but were unable to make much of an impression against a well-drilled defensive unit.

Soon Harriers had settled into their stride and created problems of their own.

Debutant Harry White and Ngwatala went close to extending the visitors' lead but they had to wait until the 74th minute to make the game safe.

Gnahoua, cutting in from the right flank, looked to deliver a cross, but Dave Stephens' late rash challenge in the area left referee Craig Hicks with no alternative than to point to the spot.

Ngwatala stepped up confidently to fire the ball inside Russell's right-hand post, despite the goalkeeper getting a hand on the effort.

A delighted Gordon said: "We played well. I've had to change some patterns of play, we had to go a little bit longer than I like to.

"But we adapted, the goal from the free-kick settled us and we could have added to that. The penalty allowed us to close out the game and give a bit more confidence."

The win reduces Harriers' deficit to Torquay to three points and they are now 13 points from safety.