HARRIERS find themselves close to the drop zone in the Conference once again after another disappointing defeat, this time 2-0 away to fellow strugglers Halifax Town.

Halifax had failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their previous 12 games, but sealed something of a perfect night in just their second home success of the campaign, Andy Campbell and Jake Wright grabbing the goals.

Harriers looked lively at times in the first half but lacked the vital final touch, their woes in front of goal continued as they remain the lowest scorers in the division with seven goals in 13 games.

It was unfortunately the case of a goal knocking the stuffing out of Harriers, their reaction was certainly not on the scale of the Crawley game, but Scott Bevan can be thanked for saves that prevented Ryan Sugden, Steve Torpey and Martin Foster from adding an immediate second.

At the beginning of the half, though, it was Harriers who made the best of the forward moves with Mark Creighton going in for one of his obligatory set-piece attacks as he latched onto Jonny Harkness' corner with a header that was cleared early on.

Simon Russell tried his luck from just inside the area and forced Craig Mawson in the home goal to remain alert, Iyseden Christie (pictured) was also denied in the opening stages.

With just over half an hour gone Campbell found himself frustrated by the linesman's flag, but made no mistake with his goal minutes later, Sugden dispatched of Harkness before making a darting run towards goal, slipping an unchallenged ball through to Campbell who scored from close range.

A 20-man brawl marred the end of the first-half as Halifax objected to Gavin Hurren's challenge on Foster - Russ Penn was the only player to be penalised with the referee awarding him his sixth booking of the season for his part in the melee.

Jake Sedgemore forced Mawson into a fine save just a little way into the second half with a decent free kick, and Harriers surrounded the hour mark with two good chances, first Christie who managed to lob the 'keeper but also the cross bar, and Hurren who shot wide with a follow-up from Smike's blocked-shot.

Luke Reynolds came on with 17 minutes to go and immediately caused some panic in the Halifax defence as he won a corner, the hosts recovered to clear the danger.

Harriers tried their best to find themselves an equaliser but Halifax almost took advantage of the counter attack - Sugden was only denied his fourth goal in four consecutive games by the top of Scott Bevan's crossbar.

With six minutes to go Halifax pulled off that counter attack move as Wright fired home from 12 yards.

Halifax: Mawson, Uhlenbeek, Young, Quinn, Wright, Foster, Kearney (Gray 68), Forrest, Sugden, Campbell (Senior 56), Torpey (Killeen 72).
Subs not used: Doughty, Smeltz,

Harriers: Bevan, Whitehead, Harkness (Blackwood 45), Hurren, Sedgemore, Creighton, Penn, Smikle (McGrath 65), Russell, Christie, White (Reynolds 73).
Subs not used: S. Taylor, B. Taylor,

Attendance: 1,438

Referee: Steve Cummins