Bore draw point not enough for Harriers

Kidderminster Harriers lost their fight for National League survival after a drab goalless draw against mid-table Barrow.

With two matches left, Harriers have no chance of avoiding the drop despite losing just once in their last seven outings.

Even a win over Barrow would not have kept their relegation battle alive as fifth-from-bottom Boreham Wood's 2-1 triumph at Aldershot guaranteed they could not be caught.

Grim Harriers, one point better off than basement club Welling, now face playing next season at their lowest level for more than 30 years.

Aggborough chief Colin Gordon admitted the match had been a dire spectacle with Barrow contributing to the poor entertainment value by adopting negative tactics.

He said: "I've got lads in there saying it's the worst game of football they have ever been involved in and I agree. I'm sorry for Kidderminster Harriers getting relegated but I'm very sorry for football. It was the most unenjoyable afternoon I've had all season. It was just horrible.

"Every time you broke through Barrow brought you down and every time they got in contact they rolled around the floor. I thought I'd left that behind in the 1980s.

"But we know what the next stage is for us. We'll continue to be brave and bring kids in and continue to develop our own. And we'll bring in players who want to play the game the right way. But we kept fighting right to the end and we haven't conceded a goal. We got another point which would have been valuable earlier in the season.

"The players are so gutted for each other, but I'm so proud of them, they kept going."

Harriers, who drew 1-1 at Barrow earlier in the season, went close to making an eighth minute breakthrough when a 25-yard shot from Ben Whitfield was pushed around the post with difficulty by goalkeeper Joel Dixon.

The visitors responded with a glancing header from Simon Grand which hit a post before being cleared by Keith Lowe.

Dixon did well to keep out another shot from Whitfield in the closing stages of an unmemorable first half.

The poor entertainment continued after the break, when Barrow went close on a couple of occasions.

Firstly, just after the hour mark, a blistering drive from Nick Wilmer-Anderton was well pushed away by Dean Snedker.

With ten minutes left Ben Tomlinson had an effort roll along the line and hit the inside of the post.

Kidderminster: Snedker; Williams, Lowe, Langmead, Kinsella; Fane; Ngwatala, McQuilkin, Francis-Angol; Sweeney (Patrick, 80), Whitfield. Subs not used: Brown, Hodgkiss, Garnett, Tunnicliffe.

Referee: Richard Wigglesworth (Yorks).

Attendance: 1,517 (137 away fans).