BBC Sport - Wrexham 2-1 Kidderminster By Ged Scott BBC Sport at the Racecourse Ground Neil Ashton's late penalty earned Wrexham victory over Kidderminster to give the Welsh side the advantage going into Sunday's Blue Square Bet Premier play-off semi-final second leg. Dave Artell, free to play after his three-game ban was overturned hours before the game, headed Wrexham ahead. Michael Gash levelled from the spot after Anthony Malbon was brought down by Martin Riley. But, when Josh Gowling fouled Brett Ormerod, Ashton kept his nerve. After his successful appeal against Saturday's red card at Mansfield, Artell was one of only two Wrexham players in the starting line-up who also started at Field Mill, player-boss Andy Morrell having made nine changes. Having won 2-1 at the Racecourse Ground just nine days before, and finished the season with a five-match winning run, the Harriers went into the game as the team in form. But there was always a danger of psychological scars from Saturday's failure to win the Blue Square Bet Premier title and the crowd trouble that marred their 4-0 win over Stockport. And, with so many of Wrexham's first-choice selections back in action, apart from an early block by home keeper Chris Maxwell to deny Malbon, it was the Red Dragons who carried the first-half threat. Artell off the hook Wrexham entre-half David Artell was not expected to play, after being sent off for a high challenge in Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Champions Mansfield. But, having been sent off by an English referee, in an English league game, the decision was overturned by the Football Association of Wales on Tuesday afternoon, just hours before the game. Ormerod was denied three times by keeper Danny Lewis - the first of them a fine diving save from a fierce left-foot shot. There was also a big handball shout in the penalty area against James Vincent, and Mickey Demetriou came up with a great last-ditch block in a scramble. But it was Demetriou who was at fault a minute before the break, being turned by the ageless Ormerod, who clipped a neat chip to the far post for Artell - a Wembley play-off winner with Crewe a year ago - to power home a header. It could have been 2-0 for Wrexham straight after the break when Johnny Hunt fired just over from Ormerod's cross. But, instead, it was 1-1, Malbon going down under a challenge from Harriers old boy Martin Riley before Gash kept his cool from the spot. Chances then came at either end as Kidderminster were rescued by a superbly timed tackle from skipper Kyle Storer on Ormerod, before Maxwell went low to his left to deny Danny Jackman. But, with five minutes left, the home side won the night, Gowling adjudged to have brought down Ormerod in a last-ditch challenge and Ashton sent Lewis the wrong way to steer home the winning penalty - and hand Steve Burr's Harriers a first defeat in 11 games. That's a great advert for our league - two teams going at it full tilt, head-to-head against each other. I thought it was a really good game and it was quite nice to come out on top. I don't know where we stand because we're used to being two or three down at this stage. We're in uncharted territory so it's a better feeling than in the last two years, I'll give you that. 32 Artell Booked 11 Morrell (Adebola - 73') 13 Coughlin 07 Cieslewicz 04 Storer Booked 08 Vincent Booked (Briggs - 39') 10 Malbon 11 Johnson (Devaney - 61') 20 Gash Att: 6,315