Football: BRAIN TEASER TAXES YATES.. The F.A. TROPHY Harriers frustrated by missed chances.

KIDDERMINSTER 0

BRAINTREE 0

HARRIERS booked themselves an unwanted trip to Essex on Tuesday night after proving unable to penetrate a stubborn Braintree defence in this dour FA Trophy tie.

The Conference South side set their stall out from the word go, defending in depth, and didn't create one single effort on goal throughout the entire first half.

That said, Harriers should have settled this tie after 19 minutes but failed to convert a golden opportunity with new signing James Constable the culprit.

Having been snapped up from Walsall in midweek for an undisclosed fee, Constable promptly ballooned over from just six yards out after Brian Smikle had squirmed his way past the Braintree defence to square the ball across the face of goal.

A dejected Harriers boss Mark Yates admitted afterwards: "They came here to do a job on us. They wanted a draw and played for it.

"We didn't do enough to win it and didn't play with a good enough tempo.

"I'm looking for a better and more energetic performance on Tuesday. This was a bad day at the office.

"I was more disappointed with a section of the crowd who booed us at the end. I don't understand that.

"We've gone 12 games unbeaten, 10 of which we've won. That reaction upsets me as much as the performance.

"It suggests an air of arrogance and the fact that we should steamroller every side. It just doesn't work like that.''

Harriers certainly had enough chances to have settled this tie at the first time of asking.

Constable had a shot deflected over the crossbar by Braintree defender Steve Good on the half-hour and then Smikle smashed a good effort into Braintree's side netting moments later.

Constable headed a Simon Russell cross while under pressure over the crossbar right on the stoke of an unsatisfactory first half show.

Four minutes into the second half Harriers must have realised it wasn't going to be their day when denied a clear-cut penalty.

Constable was up-ended by Braintree's Mark Jones when charging his way into the penalty area but referee David Richardson ignored the appeals. Jones then clashed with Constable, accusing the Harriers marksman of diving and the pair had to be pulled apart.

It only added to the frustration as Harriers continued to go close, Constable turning a dangerous cross into the Braintree goalmouth on 55 minutes but somehow James Baker managed to clear for the Essex side from underneath his own crossbar.

Moments later Braintree contrived their first effort on goal when Robbie Martin rifled wide.

But they had a better chance to snatch an unlikely victory on 61 minutes. Baker put his strike partner Bertie Brayley clean through on goal but Harriers goalkeeper Scott Bevan stood his ground to stop the resulting angled shot before full-back Jonny Harkness completed the clearance.

Harriers' best effort of the second half saw a diving header from Smikle skim the woodwork.

Apart from that, Harriers rarely looked like breaking the deadlock and Braintree grew in confidence throughout the closing stages to receive a standing ovation from their travelling support at the end.

CAPTION(S):

GET BACK: Kidderminster's Luke Reynolds holds off a Braintree challenge; JUMP FOR IT: Kidderminster's Mark Creighton leaps higher than Louis Riddle