KIDDERMINSTER Harriers paid the price for failing to capitalise on a period of intense second half pressure by tumbling to a 2-0 Nationwide Division Three defeat against table-topping Chesterfield at Aggborough last night.

The Spireites, unbeaten on their travels this season, clinched victory with goals from Ian Breckin after 38 minutes and Jon Howard who sealed the points in the 67th minute.

For a spell around the hour mark, however, Harriers gave Chesterfield a difficult time, being thwarted four times.

Keeper Mike Pollitt pulled off fine saves to deny John Durnin and Andy Ducros while another effort by Stewart Hadley was headed off the line by David Reeves.

Manager Jan Molby also felt his side should have been awarded a penalty when Hadley appeared to be brought down by Pollitt.

He said: "It was as clear-cut as you are going to get, but the referee was nowhere near anything all night.

"But we should have scored, we had the chances. The first half from our point of view, though, was best forgotten about.

"We were at home and decided for a spell in the second half to give it a real crack -- in that spell we should have scored."

Molby said he was particularly disappointed with the way Chesterfield were able to score.

The first came from a corner and the second was due to what he described as "shocking defending".

Molby sprang a surprise by including striker Ian Foster in the starting line-up following a hamstring injury which had sidelined him since the end of August.

"He's worked a lot on his fitness and I just thought his pace and movement would have caused them one of two problems. It didn't. It was a gamble and it didn't come off."

Foster was eventually part of a double 52nd minute substitution when he was replaced by Hadley while Dean Bennett came on for Barry Horne.

The switches signalled the start of Harriers determined spell which was insufficient to stop the visitors from securing their fifth away league win of the campaign.

Molby said: "We have played better teams this season, but Chesterfield did enough to win and they won at a canter in the end."

Chesterfield went close to breaking the deadlock through Ryan Williams and Sean Parrish before they finally scored when Williams' corner was headed in by unchallenged Breckin.

Before the interval Ducros had a shot well save by Pollitt before Sean Tutill almost headed into his own net.

Following their double substitution, Kidderminster stepped up the pressure but their inability to make a breakthrough was punished when Howard scored after shaking off Mark Shail's challenge.