IT seems there's no accounting for inconsistency when it comes to Kidderminster Harriers.

Harriers' bid to roll back the years and cash in on the FA Cup backfired when their early exit at Southport left them empty-handed.

How Harriers could have done with a money-raising repeat of the runs that saw them beat Birmingham and worry West Ham and Wolves in the not too distant past.

But rather than taking a trip down memory lane, Kidderminster were crushed by Chris Lane, who fired in Southport's fourth qualifying round winner.

Lane's clinical 69th minute strike left the Aggborough board facing another battle to balance the books after their decision to budget for a decent Cup run.

Anybody who has watched Stuart Watkiss's men in action this season could have warned them about the dangers of gambling on this topsy turvy team.

And the depressing pattern that has seen Harriers take one step forward followed by one, or more, steps back all term continued at Haig Avenue.

Kidderminster controlled large portions of the game and, though they were far from fluent, they were certainly effective at getting the ball near the opposition's 18-yard box.

Sadly, that was where the visitors' threat broke down with their finishing and final ball letting them down for the umpteenth time this season.

Gareth Sheldon, Simon Russell and Wayne Hatswell were responsible for edge-of-area efforts that merely trickled towards Southport stopper Steve Dickinson rather than seriously testing him.

Iyseden Christie came closest to hammering home his side's superiority when he chipped wide with only the keeper to beat, while Daryl Burgess should have hit the target with a free header from a corner.

Southport were always going to enjoy a purple patch of their own and when it arrived they made the most of it by edging in front on 69 minutes.

Moments earlier, with his first involvement in the game, Dan Lewis had justified the manager's faith in him with a sublime save from Steve Daly's goalbound header.

But there was nothing the young keeper could do about the goal with Lane lashing in a right-footed volley from Matty McGinn's left-wing cross.

Suddenly the Sandgrounders went from being a team with very little to offer to one with the bit between their teeth as they set about killing off Kidderminster.

Harriers, who again looked less effective when Martin O'Connor left the field, still had plenty of possession inside the Southport half.

But as they searched for a leveller, they left themselves open to attack with Lewis again reacting quickly to deny Daly and Carl Baker spurning another good chance.

While Southport host Woking in the next round with the possibility of drawing a big team further down the line, Harriers bow out at the first hurdle for the second successive year.

Raising morale for the weekend's Conference clash with Hereford is important, but not nearly as important as raising revenue at the cash-strapped club.