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Archived News from April 2010

STAGS THROW AWAY SPEIGHT`S 3 GOAL LEAD
28th April 2010 17:05


Blue Square Premier
Mansfield Town 3 - 3 Kidderminster Harriers
Speight 18, 25, 44. Byrne 51, Knights 54, McPhee 74.

Attendance: 2734 (144 from Kidderminster)

Date: 24 April 2010

Martin Shaw and Simon Chamberlain at Field Mill

Mansfield Town threw away a three goal lead provided by Jake Speight's first half hat-trick, with an inept defensive second half display, as Kidderminster clawed their way back to claim a point. This 3-3 draw summed up Mansfield's entire season of total inconsistency. At half time, we were even thinking that the Stags could claim back 8th place from AFC Wimbledon, as two further goals would have completed a 6 goal swing in the goal difference. But that all evaporated with a spectacular defensive collapse. It was a bitterly disappointing end to the season, which promised so much. At least Speight had reason to smile, as his hat-trick, the first in a first half since Iyseden Christie against Colchester, meant he overtook Rob Duffy as the club's leading goalscorer with 17 goals (plus one further which was expunged against Chester).

Before the game, Alan Marriott received the player of the season awards from the SSA, the CHAD, and Ollerton Stags. The only surprise was he didn't get a clean sweep as Gary Silk picked the Pleasley Stags award.

On a sunny afternoon, the Stags played in next season's home kit of amber and blue stripes on the front and amber on the back of the shirts, with blue shorts and a return to the lucky amber socks. The kit looked terrific.The entire Stags 16 were all players under contract for next season, with the exception of Jake Speight for whom the club has an option on his contract for next season.

Full Stagsnet report in the Match Centre

Man of the match: Jake Speight - Excellent first two goals. Lucky third goal. Could have had more goals. Needs to be offered a contract this evening.

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Mansfield Town 3 Harriers 3
http://www.harriers-online.co.uk/season09-10/reports09-10/mans_a_24-4-10.shtml?

Date: 24-04-10 Venue: Field Mill att: 2734 away fans: 144

1st half horrors, 2nd half whizz kids
Report by Harry Taylor
At Field Mill, Mansfield, the final game of Kidderminster Harriers season was played today with a game of epic proportions and good to watch at some point for both sets of fans. The game itself resembled the Harriers season, either very good or absolutely awful, and it only took fifteen minutes to change from one to the other.

There were two surprises in the Kidderminster line-up with a completely new defensive partnership of Chris McPhee and Tom Sharpe, who was given the armband, in place of Martin Riley who was on the bench and Luke Prosser who was dropped altogether. Also returning to the first team squad was Dean Coleman who, whilst playing on Thursday night against Halesowen in the Harriers victorious WSC cup win, hadn't played a league game for Kidderminster since mid-February due to an operation on his groin.

On a sunny and warm day the Harriers fans were in fine voice straight from kick off and a slight party mood in the air with some sections of the away support in fancy dress, (I was a penguin). The game originally had a typically end-of-season feel to it with the ball being passed around with little pressure put on it, John Finnegan had a volley spoon well-wide for the Harriers, but it was Mansfield who took the lead after seventeen minutes.

In the centre of the field Gary Mills passed the ball to Jake Speight who took the ball forward and, as Harriers backed off, the front man hit a hard shot from outside the area which went straight past Coleman into the goal. Whilst the goal may've been unfair on the Harriers they proceeded to completely collapse when seven minutes later Mansfield doubled their lead with the same man again, Speight. He picked the ball up on the right flank and ran forward past Lee Baker and Sharpe and then continued to home in on goal. The ex-Droylsden man shot towards Coleman's near post as the Harriers goalkeeper produced an arguable error diving too early and showing Speight where to put the ball as the finish seemed almost effortless.

As he and his team-mates celebrated in the middle of the Harriers half the fans may've been wondering why they made the journey up the M1 to see their team implode. Things could only get better surely?

This wasn't to be the case as, whilst Robbie Matthews had a shot straight at the goalkeeper Alan Marriott, Mansfield were clearly the better side as they seemed to carve Harriers open time and time again with Speight causing the Kidderminster defence endless problems with his pace and trickery on either flank, or through the centre, so it wasn't a surprise when on the forty fifth minute he sealed his hat-trick with another goalkeeping error, this time more definite than the possible one for the second goal.

The ball was put over the top of the Harriers defence and Speight ran onto it along with McPhee who managed to get a touch on the ball which should've been an easy catch for Dean Coleman. However, instead of catching the ball he dropped it and guided it into his own net with the goal being credited to Speight despite Coleman having a hand in the goal, literally.

At half time Mansfield held a comfortable 3-0 lead, one which was demoralising the Harriers fans by the minute and despite the party-atmosphere with the costumes the scoreline wasn't really one to party about and celebrate. There were chants of 'We're going to win 4-3', but of course we wouldn't be able to get three goals back. Would we?
HT: 3 - 0
Steve Burr responded to the scoreline by taking off the ineffectual Matthews who, despite blocking a shot on the line, didn't do enough in the first half to warrant being kept on in the second half. He was replaced by Martin Riley in what could be his last game for the club with rumours rife that he may be off to join his old manager, Mark Yates, at Cheltenham.

Riley swapped for McPhee who went upfront and within five minutes Kidderminster had grabbed a goal back. Following some good work on the left hand side Brian Smikle crossed the ball into the area towards Marriott's far post, Jack Byrne rose above his marker and headed the ball past the Mansfield goalkeeper to grab a goal back for the away side and give the fans supporting the Harriers something to cheer about. Still though, two goals left to draw? It couldn't happen could it?

The momentum was swinging towards the Harriers now and Lee Baker had a drive go just past the Mansfield goal, which for a moment looked as though it may threaten the goalkeeper. Two minutes later and we had grabbed another one back.

Much like Mansfield's first, Finnegan in the middle of the park, passed the ball to Darryl Knights who then ran at the Mansfield defence, and despite having Chris McPhee in support of him, chose to hit the ball towards goal and it flew past ex-Lincoln keeper Marriott to cue more wild celebrations and heighten hopes that Kidderminster would grab an equaliser.

Mansfield weren't going to go down easily though and after the goal they pressed Harriers on numerous occasions and looked very dangerous when doing so but none of the chances came to anything and the Harriers managed to escape unscathed.

In the seventy first minute the unthinkable happened. Chris McPhee was in the centre of the field following a well worked attack from the Harriers, Darryl Knights received a chipped ball from Baker and the goalscorer knocked the ball back to McPhee who hit a perfect volley which looked as if it took a deflection that helped it loop into Marriott's top right hand corner and gave the Harriers fans something to cheer about, something which was unthinkable twenty five minutes previously.

Ten minutes later and Mansfield should've got a winner through Speight again when he drove the ball towards the left hand side of the goal but this time Coleman atoned for his earlier mistake and got a firm hand to the ball to divert it out superbly for a corner which thankfully came to nothing.

After this the Harriers continued to attack in hope of grabbing a winner. Lloyd Kerry (on for Finnigan) having a shot late on straight at the keeper and another substitute, Marc Goodfellow, curling in a shot from the right hand side in the dying moments which was an easy catch for Marriott.

With four minutes added on hundreds of Mansfield schoolchildren invaded the pitch in a weird fashion as the home club hadn't won anything! With the pitch being invaded the referee silently ended the game and ushered the players to the far side of the pitch without actually blowing the final whistle on the game. So, in effect, the game is still being played right now because it hasn't legally ended yet!!

It was a great way to end the season with and it truly was a game of two halves with the first half being Speights half as he ran Harriers ragged and put in a superb performance. In the second half the Harriers switched on for the first time in ages and proved what they can do when they try.

Now its time for the big clearout which everyone seems to think will follow and pre-season for what could be the Harriers season - finally.
FT: 3 - 3

Goals for Mansfield: Speight 18, 25, 45
Goals for Harriers: Byrne 51, Knights 54, McPhee 74

The Harriers Online MotM is:
Darryl Knights

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Superb Harriers end season with spirited draw
8:00pm Saturday 24th April 2010

http://www.kidderminstershuttle.co.uk/sport/harriers/news/8118762.Superb_Harriers_end_season_with_spirited_draw/?ref=rss

Mansfield 3
Harriers 3

THREE second half goals ensured Harriers finished their season with a real flourish on Saturday as they came back from the dead to claim a point at Mansfield Town.

Steve Burr's men simply didn't turn up in the first period and were given the run around by Mansfield's Jake Sepight who helped himself to a hat-trick within 45 minutes.

But, no doubt on the end of a stern talking to at the break, they staged one of the comebacks of the season after the re-start, and after Jack Byrne and Darryl Knights had made it 3-2 within eight minutes, Chris McPhee levelled the scores on 74 minutes, his goal ensuring the points were shared.

With Dean Coleman back in goal for his first league game since February and Tom Sharpe taking the skipper's armband, Harriers failed to take note of an early warning of Speight's talents as he narrowly fired across goal on 12 minutes.

Six minutes later he had opened the scoring with the first of his three – keeping hold of the ball to feet before curling a shot from around 20 yards past the beaten Coleman and into the back of the net, a strike of real quality.

Seven minutes later he'd made it two and it was all his own work, holding off the challenge of Chris McPhee for the length of the pitch before slamming home a finish on the angle.

In the dying moments of the first half he had his hat-trick all wrapped up – Coleman was left with head in hands after allowing the tamest of toe-pokes to squirm under his grasp before rolling agonisingly over the line.

Harriers completely changed things around after the half-time break. The 54th minute mark came and saw them back at 3-2; Darryl Knights firing in sweetly from the edge of the area after Jack Byrne had forced a strong header into the back of the net, his first goal for the club since his move from Redditch United.

By no means did the away side have it all their own way in the second half – Mansfield had several chances to add to their lead before eventually losing it; Coleman more than making amends for his earlier mistake with saves from Speight and Rob Duffy.

With a little more than a quarter hour left to play, parity was re-stored as Harriers again netted, forcing wild scenes in amongst their hefty travelling ranks as McPhee fired one into the top corner from distance, Alan Marriott not able to even offer a save.

A real game of two halves almost got a complete turn-around as Harriers went close to going 4-3 up in the final stages – substitute Lloyd Kerry lashed in a shot from outside the area that was well held by Marriott.

HARRIERS: Coleman 6; Courtney 6; Baker 7; Finnigan 7 (Kerry 69 6); McPHEE 8; Bennett 6 (Goodfellow 84 6); Knights 7; Smikle 7; Sharpe 6; Matthews 6 (Riley 45 7); Byrne 7.

Subs not used: Singh, Lawrie.

MANSFIELD: Marriott; Mills; Garner; Foster; Silk; Briscoe; (Istead 59); Somner; Burgess; Williams; Duffy (Shaw 85); Speight (Perry 90).

Attendance: 2,734 (144 away) Referee: P. Wright.

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Stags 3, Kidderminster Harriers 3, Saturday, 24th April 2010
CHAD REPORT
By John Lomas
DESPITE a sparkling first half hat-trick by Jake Speight, Mansfield Town's final game of the season fell flat as Kidderminster Harriers hit back with three second half goals to steal an unlikely point at Field Mill today.

http://www.chad.co.uk/stags/Stags-3-Kidderminster-Harriers-3.6251636.jp

This game displayed all that was good and bad about the Stags and typified their inconsistent season.

Livewire Speight had netted on 18, 25 and 45 minutes to seemingly put the Stags in complete command with Harriers rarely threatening.

But it was a completely different story after the break as sloppy defending allowed Kidderminster back in the game.

Both sides had chances to win what was a decent spectacle for the neutral in a game which had nothing at stake but pride.

Speight at least had the satisfaction of the match ball and pipping Duffy at the post for the top scorer title for the season with 17 goals. And he could have had a double hat-trick on the day, having two efforts well saved and another flash acros the face of goal

Stags were given a double defensive boost as skipper Luke Foster and right back ace Gary Silk returned to the side to replace Stevie Istead and Luke Jones.

Rob Duffy and Kyle Nix also shook off knocks to be included, Duffy up front and Nix on the bench.

Stags keeper Alan Marriott won the lion's share of the pre-match player of the year awards (see this week's Chad for full awards round-up), including the Chad Readers' award, presented by Chad reader Steve Kemp.
Stags were sporting next season's smart new kit with blue and amber striped shirts.

Stags took four minutes to threaten the away goal as Foster picked up on a clearance 20 yards out to loft a first time dipping shot over the bar.

More pressure saw Duffy miscue a shot, the ball falling to Somner whose first shot was blocked and his follow-up saw him head into keeper Coleman's hands.

Speight showed good footwork on 12 minutes to wriggle his way from the byline inside between three defenders only to stroke his low finish wide of the far post across the gaping goalmouth.

On 17 minutes Marriot had his near post covered to keep out a low swerving 20-yard shot from Matthews from the right.

But Stags broke quickly upfield and grabbed an 18th minute lead through Speight.

Catching Harriers napping through the centre, Mills threaded a great through ball for Speight to run onto and he steadied himself before lashing home a crisp finish high to the left of Coleman's fingertips.

Knights tried to send Smikle through at the other end with a well-played through ball but Mariott was alert to the danger and ran well out of his box to clear into the Bishop Street stand.

However, another great burst of pace from Speight doubled his and Mansfield's tally on 25 minutes.

There looked little danger when he had the ball wide on the right but Speight just kept on running and showed great body strength to hold off McPhee all the way before firing across Coleman inside the far post.

Looking for a quick reply, Knights' pass sent Byrne to the by-line and Garner did well to get a foot in to prevent Matthews turning the ball home at the near post.

Briscoe struck a tremendous volley from Williams' far post cross which Speight helped on right in front of goal only to see Matthews get in a block to deny him his hat-trick.

Duffy sent a firm header wide from a Burgess cross on 35 minutes.

Speight completed a first half-half hat-trick in the last minute before the break.

It came route one and with a bit of help from the keeper.

The ball was hit long up the middle, Duffy flicked it on and, with Coleman advancing, Speight tried to stab the ball past him.

The keeper got a hand to it and seemed to have stopped it, but the ball spun on towards the goal with Coleman chasing in vain to try to stop it crossing the line.

Stung by their first half hiding, Harriers were sent back out onto the pitch early for the second half, Riley replacing Matthews to shore up the back line.

And within six minutes they had a foothold into the game with a goal from Byrne.

Stags switched off at the far post as Smikle launched a long cross in from the left and Byrne powered home a header from five yards.
Two minutes later a Courtney cross from the left bounced off the top of the Mansfield crossbar.

More sloppy defending from Mansfield then allowed Kidderminster another goal back as they allowed Knights enough time and room to look up and pick his spot from 16 yards with a ferocious right footed finish.

On 59 minutes Duffy wasn't far wide with a far post header from Brisoe's cross.

Istead replaced Briscoe on the hour and seconds later Baker was just wide of goal with low 20-yard effort with Marriott beaten.

Stags went on the attack down the right and Somner's cross flew in front of goal with no one there to turn it home. Williams retrieved it on the left by-line and crossed it back in again and this time Duffy got a head to it but was too high.

Then Coleman held safely onto a firm low Williams cross with Speight in close proximity to pick up any scraps.

Baker's long ball to the post saw Byrne get the better of Burgess and volley at goal, Marriott forced into a save.

Speight then almost grabbed a fourth on 72 minutes as he turned well on the edge of the box and forced Coleman to dive full-length to his left to make the stop.

But it was 3-3 two minutes later as McPhee showed great opportunism on the edge of the box, lashing home an unstoppable volley as a half-clearance dropped towards him.

On 78 minutes Kerry blasted the ball straight at Marriott when it broke to him in space after Foster had initially halted McPhee.

Eight minutes from time Kidderminster won their first corner. But Stags broke quickly and Istead's pass sent Speigt into the box, forcing Coleman into a save.

The Harriers keeper made another great stop seconds later as he beat away a close range Somner header from Williams' cross.

Shaw, who had earlier been booked for something while warming up, came on to replace Duffy. And Perry came on for Speight in the penultimate minute of stoppage time.

Sub Goodfellow warmed Marriott's hands soon after, but the game ended in a draw and the annual pitch invasion from young supporters.

STAGS: Marriott; Silk, Foster, Garner, Burgess; Briscoe, Mills, Somner, Williams; Speight, Duffy. Subs: Collett, Nix, Istead, Perry, Shaw.

HARRIERS: Coleman; Courtney, McPhee, Sharpe, Baker; Byrne, Bennett, Finnigan; Knights, Bennett, Smikle. Subs: Singh, Riley, Goodfellow, Lawrie, Kerry.

REFEREE: Peter Wright of Southport.

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Evening Post report:
Stags defence not good enough
Monday, April 26, 2010, 07:00Comment on this story

WHILE David Holdsworth's cryptic headings for his programme notes have taken some fathoming, there is no mystery as to what has gone wrong for his Mansfield Town side this season.
Only if you skim through a selection of club publications do you twig that such musings as "The Rain Was Never Cold When I Was Young", "Some Things Never Change – That's Just The Way It Is," and Saturday's offering, "How Do You Rate The Morning Sun?", are all lines out of well-known songs.
Working out why the Stags have failed to reach the play-offs, however, is much less taxing. Simple even.
And if there was any supporter who had not cottoned on before this final game of the campaign against Kidderminster, they were given a 90-minute synopsis to help them along.
Mansfield have had no problem finding the back of the net in 2009-10 – only Luton, Rushden and champions Stevenage have scored more than their 69 in the final reckoning.
But what is crystal clear is that, defensively, the Stags have not cut the mustard. By conceding 60 times, they have let in more goals than any other team in the top half of the Blue Square Premier.
Wearing next season's new home kit, Mansfield certainly looked the part and, for the first half, they played like it too.
Coasting into a 3-0 lead at half-time thanks to Jake Speight's hat-trick, there was even tentative talk of overtaking AFC Wimbledon and sneaking into eighth place in the table on goal difference.
The Londoners did go on to lose to former Mansfield striker Daryl Clare's only goal at Gateshead. It was just that the Stags capitulated themselves and could, in the end, have ended up losing.
It was such a massive disappointment for the supporters who had turned up in the hope of a happy summer send-off.
But such was the nature of what unfolded in the second period – Mansfield seemed to think they already had the game sewn up and defended like schoolboys – it felt like a defeat, rather than a draw.
It must also have been deflating for Speight, who would have hoped his triple strike would be more than enough to see his team home.
Sitting on 14 goals before the game – although the striker still counts his chalked-off strike against Chester – he needed one more to activate a bonus agreed with the club if he reached 15.
Speight did that in some style by taking his tally to an impressive 17 in 33 appearances, only 15 of them starts, with two superb strikes and a third that owed much to a blunder by Kiddie keeper Dean Coleman.
It remains to be seen whether the 24-year-old will be at Field Mill next season considering a number of Football League clubs, Carlisle among them, are reported to be interested.
The player insists he has had no contract offer from the board, but feels he is worth a new and improved deal and is considering his options.
Chairman Andrew Perry says the club have activated a one-year option to retain his services for another season and, as far as he is concerned, he will be a Mansfield player.
Manager David Holdsworth, meanwhile, is hopeful of Speight staying put, even if he admits a sizeable cash offer could see the former Droyslden man leave.
Whatever the outcome, Speight showed against Kidderminster why he is now such a valuable commodity, with a display of pace and power.
But for further spurned chances, one in each half, he could quite easily have emulated Steve Wilkinson, who grabbed five against Birmingham 20 years ago this month.
Speight's first, to open the scoring in the 18th minute, owed much to the vision of Gary Mills, who sent him scampering free through the inside-left channel.
He cut back in as a defender tried to recover and planted a precise finish just inside the right-hand post
Speight doubled his and Mansfield's tally midway through the half, bulldozing past Chris McPhee before cutting in from the right and smashing past Coleman.
Yet he did not even know he had registered his hat-trick on the stroke of half-time because of the bizarre circumstances.
Speight had turned his back in anguish after mis-hitting an attempted chip from Rob Duffy's flick but Coleman fumbled the ball and it rolled apologetically over the line.
At that point, it should have been all over. Game set and match.
But the Mansfield team that retook the field went to sleep – and were severely punished.
No wonder manager Holdsworth was all-but tearing his hair out.
The warning signs were there when, soon after the restart, Jack Byrne got the wrong side of Andy Burgess to score with a header.
It was a warning not heeded, though, and within three minutes, Daryl Knights had cut Kidderminster's deficit to just one as he was allowed acres of space to stroll to the edge of the box and drive beyond Alan Marriott.
To be fair, Harriers' leveller was one heck of a strike from McPhee, as he thundered an unstoppable volley into the top left-hand corner from 20 yards.
However, he was given plenty of time to line the shot up as Mansfield were far too slow to close him down.
Both sides had chances to win it, with Coleman atoning for his early error with a smart save from Speight and an excellent one from Matt Somner to deny the midfielder a first goal of the season.
Kidderminster could have sealed a remarkable transformation through substitute Lloyd Kerry, but the Chesterfield loanee shot straight at Marriott.
It was a frustrating end product for Mansfield's followers, one they have seen far too often this season – and something that needs to change in 2010-11 if they want to maintain a sustained top-five challenge.
Successful sides simply do not have the lapses in concentration that have plagued the Stags this year.
In fact, if Holdsworth were to use one of his song extracts to sum up this season, he couldn't go far wrong with Genesis' "Throwing it All Away."

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Mansfield 3 Vs Kidderminster 3
Evening Post

A HAT-TRICK from Jake Speight proved to in vain as Mansfield Town squandered a 3-0 half-time lead to draw 3-3 with Kidderminster Harriers in their final game of the season at Field Mill.
The striker struck in the 18th, 25th and 45th minutes to put the Stags in total control as the visitors looked completely out of touch.
But the second period saw a role reversal as the West Midlanders hit back to claim a point with goals from Jack Byrne, Daryl Knights and Chris McPhee.
It was a disappointing end to the season for David Holdsworth and his side who had hoped to send the fans off for the summer with a victory to celebrate.
Mansfield skipper Luke Foster got in his side's first shot on goal in the fourth minute but his 20-yard volley flew over the top.
Rob Duffy miskicked when he looked to have a good chance of testing Dean Coleman before Matt Somner's well-struck follow-up was well blocked by the Harriers defence.
Some individual brilliance from Speight allowed him to turn inside from the touchline past his marker and work space for a shot, only to drag his effort wide of the left-hand post.
The visitors responded with an optimistic try from Robbie Matthews that Alan Marriott was always comfortably behind it.
But it was the hosts who drew first blood as Speight struck clinically.
Gary Mills found him in acres of space through the left channel and the striker cut in onto his right foot before drilling into the right-hand corner from the edge of the box.
It was 2-0 to the Stags not long after as Speight doubled his and his team's tally.
He outpaced McPhee down the right flank and ran into the area to where he thumped past the advancing Coleman.
But Harriers were by no means finished and Scott Garner had to be alert to clear in front of Matthews as Jack Byrne crossed from the right byline.
As Mansfield attacked again, Louis Briscoe powered a volley goalwards and Speight tried to touch the ball in for his hat-trick, but Matthews did well to get in a block.
In the 35th minute, Andy Burgess swung over a dangerous cross and Rob Duffy rose highest but planted his header well off target.
But it was 3-0 to the Stags on the stroke of half-time as Speight completed his treble –with the help of a mistake from keeper Coleman.
Duffy flicked a long ball into the path of the former Droylsden man, who poked a foot at it.
The ball rolled straight to Coleman, but he somehow fumbled the ball and it rolled slowly into goal.
Kidderminster made a change at half-time, bringing on Martin Riley and pushing McPhee up front.
And it certainly yielded quick results as they pulled a goal back in the 50th minute.
Brian Smikle crossed from the left flank to where an unmarked Byrne headed home from five yards.
And three minutes later it was 3-2 as Knights was left unattended on the edge of the box and he powered into the right-hand corner.
Mansfield finally came round from their slumber and hit back when Duffy headed just wide of the right-hand upright after a pinpoint right-wing centre from Louis Briscoe.
The right-winger immediately made way for Steven Istead before Lee Baker tired his luck from distance and wasn't too far wide with Marriott at full stretch.
At the other end, Ryan Williams retrieved an over-hit Matt Somner cross to play the ball back in for Duffy whose header dropped over.
Williams then darted into the left-hand side of the box and attempted a curler that Coleman dealt with ably.
The visitors almost drew level in the 71st minute when Baker's diagonal ball in was met on the volley by Byrne, only for his volleyed attempt to fly straight at Marriott.
Coleman atoned for his earlier gaffe moments later when he pulled off a fine diving save to deny Speight a fourth from a low, left-foot drive.
Harriers did equalise in the 64th minute when McPhee was given too much time space to line up a volley and he found the top left-hand corner with a terrific shot.
The Stags quickly went back on the attack and Istead's centre found Williams, who could not steer his volley from a narrow angle on target.
With 12 minutes to go, substitute Lloyd Kerry had an opening to put Kidderminster in front, but he fired into Marriott's midriff.
Mansfield caught the visitors on the break when Istead broke well through the middle and fed Speight whose stinging effort was pushed around the post by Coleman.
The keeper saved his side again moments later with a fine reaction stop from Somner's close range header.
Four minutes of stoppage time was played and the closest either side came was when substitute Marc Goodfellow shot straight at Marriott from way out.
MANSFIELD: Marriott, Silk, Foster, Garner, Burgess, Briscoe, Mills, Somner, Williams, Speight, Duffy. Subs: Collett, Nix, Perry, Istead, Shaw.
KIDDERMINSTER: Coleman, Courtney, Sharpe, McPhee, Baker, Finnigan, Bennett, Byrne, Knights, Matthews, Smikle. Subs: Singh, Riley, Goodfellow, Lawrie, Kerry.
Referee: Peter Wright (Southport).

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