A SPARKLING hat-trick by hot-shot Richard Leadbeater helped Hereford demolish struggling Harriers in their GM Vauxhall Conference showdown at Aggborough on New Year's Day. He pounced with lethal accuracy in the ninth, 34th and 37th minutes and afterwards declared: ''It was a dream match for me.''

The talented 20-year-old, on a month's loan from Wolves, also laid on the chance for substitute Tony Agana to celebrate his return to first team action with an 89th- minute goal. Leadbeater said: ''Funnily enough, I wasn't that happy with the way I played in the first half, but it seemed that everything I hit went in the net.

''All 11 of us, though, deserved credit for a good team performance. ''It's a lot different for me coming from Wolves and it's nice to play in a more competitive team. I've been used to playing in Wolves Reserves for two seasons now and it doesn't really matter if you win or lose, the emphasis is on performance. But coming into this environment, where you need to win every game, provides a good career move for me, even though it may only be on loan. ''I find myself looking at Conference results now which is quite strange as I've always been used to looking at the First Division results.

''If we can keep this run going then maybe we can make a late challenge for promotion. ''It was a dream result for us. We thought Kidderminster would be fired up after the Boxing Day result, but I think we killed them off with our work rate early on. All the lads will be boosted by the performance.''

Hereford's director of football Graham Turner said: '' I thought we passed the ball quite well at times. We got around the back of them into good positions on either flank and Leadbeater finished his chances off very well. He's a good goal scorer.

''We worked as a unit and defended well when we had to. They are always a threat from their set-pieces, the corners in particular which swung under the bar in the wind. That did cause us one or two sticky moments, but we came through it well and it's a good three points for us.''

In a match constantly affected by the troublesome swirling wind, Hereford stormed into the lead when Neil Grayson took the ball off Matt Clarke and hoisted a perfect cross for Leadbeater to head past keeper Darren Steadman.

He notched his second when his shot struck a post before hitting grounded Steadman and ending up in the net. Goal number three arrived thanks to a beautifully struck shot from the edge of the area. Leadbeater's treble totally knocked the stuffing out of Kidderminster, who improved slightly after the interval, but were well below par.

Chris Brindley had an effort headed off the line by John Brough, but Agana rubbed salt into their wounds when he finished off a cross from Leadbeater. For delighted Agana it was a successful return to first team action. He had come on as substitute for Grayson in the 63rd minute to take another step on the comeback trail after being sidelined since August following surgery on damaged knee ligaments.

Dismal Kidderminster's consolation goal came in the 90th minute when Wayne Thomas scored direct from a free-kick. The match was watched by Conference-best 4,693, just eclipsing the 4,691 which saw Hereford's 1-0 win over Harriers at Edgar Street on Boxing Day.

Hereford: Quy, Rodgerson (Warner 75 mins), Fishlock, Pitman, Brough, Walker, Hargreaves (McCue 81 mins), McGorry, Grayson (Agana 63 mins), Leadbeater, Mahon.