CARLISLE 1 HARRIERS 0

THE longest trip of the season for Kidderminster Harriers brought a familiar story as they failed to register a goal for the eighth time this season.

For Harriers, the depressing statistics showed they just had the one accurate meaningful shot during 90 minutes and this against bottom of the league Carlisle.

To make matters worse, it was all too plainly obvious why the Cumbrians are struggling in Division Three.

That in itself did not say much for Harriers who threatened in short spells but otherwise appeared to be going through the motions.

Considering their own lowly position in the division, it was surely not good enough for boss Jan Molby.

However well they defend, Harriers are always going to be walking on a tightrope if the goals do not come.

Just the one lapse in concentration cost them heavily at Carlisle who proved something of a bogey side last season with three victories over Molby.

His men seemed ready to correct that on Saturday with a lively opening to a flat occasion. They appeared confident after a three-game unbeaten run.

Colin Larkin looked as if he could win the game single-handedly with the way he set off but unfortunately he was starved of service.

Within the second minute, he escaped from his marker and pulled the ball back for Tony Bird to side-foot wide from six yards.

Top scorer Bird should have done better and Harriers' attacking intentions were disrupted soon after.

Drewe Broughton was pushing his luck with two poor challenges and ended up with a booking on six minutes for a more innocuous third foul.

The big target-man dived to head an Ian Clarkson cross just wide soon after but the home side began to take over.

They had the ball in the net on 21 minutes but midfielder Steve Soley was clearly offside when he headed in Steve Halliday's deflected shot.

It should have been 1-0 to Carlisle just before the half-hour as the advancing Eric Nixon was given a fairly routine save in a one-on-one with Richie Foran.

But after Nixon held a low effort from on-loan midfielder Brendan McGill, Foran got his goal four minutes into the second half.

No-one picked him up from Peter Murphy's driven left-wing corner and the Irish striker steamed in to head home from six yards.

With Nixon beaten for the first time in his non-contract spell, fragile Harriers were in disarray.

Soley smashed a terrific 25-yard volley against the outside of the post on 58 minutes and David Morley curled a free-kick marginally wide.

McGill missed a good chance, while struggling Harriers saw Clarkson and Danny Williams booked amidst the chaos.

The introduction of a three-man attack had a positive influence with Ian Foster joining Broughton and Larkin as he did in the second half at Doncaster.

But under-worked Carlisle keeper Peter Keen was forced into a serious save just once, plunging to his right to turn away Foster's 18-yarder on 79 minutes.

The home side showed they were not the best opposition by giving the ball away far too easily.

For Harriers, Broughton and Blake headed wide but it was obvious both the supply and the finishing were not up to standard.

CARLISLE: Keen; Birch, Whitehead, Rogers, Winstanley; McGill (Allan 82), Morley, Soley, Murphy (Jack 85); Halliday (Skinner 46), Foran. Subs not used: Weaver, McAughtrie.

HARRIERS: Nixon 6; CLARKSON 7, Hinton 6, Smith 6, Stamps 6; Bird 5 (Foster 61, 6), Williams 5, Blake 6, Bennett 5; Broughton 5, Larkin 6. Subs not used: Murphy, Ducros, Shail, Shilton.

ATTENDANCE: 2,556.

SHOTS ON: Carlisle 5 Harriers 1.

SHOTS OFF: Carlisle 9 Harriers 9.

CORNERS: Carlisle 4 Harriers 5.

YELLOW CARDS: Carlisle 1 (Soley), Harriers 3 (Broughton, Clarkson, Williams).

SHUTTLE STAR MAN - IAN CLARKSON: A solid display from the former Birmingham City right-back who has kept Parfait Medou-Otye out of the frame since returning to Jan Molby's first-choice 11. Could not really be faulted but an attacking improvement was needed from every player.