Humphreys hat-trick as Harriers take the points

It must be something about Hallowe'en and teams beginning with the letter K for the combination of the two certainly spooks Slough.

Exactly a year ago Kettering put five past Slough, then placed second in the Conference table, it was one of the shock results of the season, especially when considering that Slough had beaten Kettering 3-0 just a couple of months previously.

On Saturday, however and this time in their own Wexham Park fortress Town were blitzed out of sight by league leaders Kidderminster Harriers.

Certain factors have to be considered here to understand just how big a shock this was. Slough were unbeaten at home and five wins from six before Saturday — they went to Aggborough in September and earned a comfortable draw, when Harriers were 20th in the division, Trevor Bunting has been beaten just nine times in 14 games this season.

The other side of the coin does though reveal that Harriers came into the game on a white hot streak, seeking a record equalling eighth successive league victory.

And it looked like it too, they swarmed all over Slough and Alan Dowson was an early victim, picking up a somewhat harsh booking as Slough back peddled.

The game was lost when Dowson thundered into Forsythe, midway through the second half and made his exit, but his dismissal means he is a non-starter for Slough's crunch FA Cup first round tie with Torquay a week on Saturday.

Knowing his precarious position and in his new role as a captain, Dowson should have shown a little more sense than to clatter Forsthye, but in truth once he'd been booked it seemed unlikely he would survive the entire game. Slough will miss him dearly.

Town were trailing 3-0 at that stage. Harriers first coming on 21 minutes as Forsythe struck hard and low from 25 yards, heating Bunting, who seemed to move rather late, just inside the post.

The crucial strike though was from Delwyn Humphreys just before the interval. One of Slough's better moments was ended by Purdie and at pace he broke away, held off Hancock and delivered a near post cross for Humphreys to touch in. Humphreys celebrated with an impressive double somersault and before the time the afternoon was out he had proved it no fluke by doing his acrobatics twice more.

Harriers continued what could only be described as an onslaught in the second half as Slough ran out of ideas, both when they did and didn't have the ball.

Purdie with his back to goal, took Palmer's short pass, feinted one way and lost Lee, turned the other and beat Bunting from the edge of the box.

Up to this point Slough could boast of Mark Fiore's fierce close range shot that thundered back out off Brindley's legs and a long range effort from Quamina that sped a yard wide of Rose's goal.

Late on Slough were twice denied by headers off the line while Stanley almost got one back at least forcing Rose to save.

Walker and Hazel then entered the fray replacing player boss Briley and Steve Scott.

Hazel's first involvement looked promising until Brindley's timely tackle denied him the opportunity of a shot, but his second did the trick. Hazel's 79th minute corner to the far post was headed down and in by Walker and Slough perhaps sensed a stirring comeback.

Normal service was though restored almost immediately. Humphreys unmarked and close in tucked away Palmer's cross — cue 'the Beagrie',

Two minutes later he was at it again, this time as he scurried into the Slough box, stayed on his feet despite the untidy efforts of Hancock, stepped inside the groping Bunting and slipped in Kidderminster's fifth.

There could have been a couple more such was the continuous flow towards poor Bunting's goal.