Shrewsbury 4 Harriers 2

STUART Watkiss was left at his lowest ebb after Kidderminster Harriers threw away a two-goal lead to lose another vital game in their Coca-Cola League Two relegation fight.

Flowing football and confident finishing put Harriers 2-0 up through Chris Beardsley and Blair Sturrock inside the first 27 minutes before Ian Foster so nearly added a third.

But Harriers then conceded two quick goals to Shrewsbury skipper Darren Moss from corners and a bitter third to former loan player Kelvin Langmead before the interval.

And, in a turgid second-half on a Gay Meadow surface that resembled Blackpool beach, Harriers truly had sand kicked in their faces with a soft fourth goal from the hosts' Luke Rodgers.

Watkiss was hit hard by the previous week's 1-0 home defeat to Chester and felt no better following more defensive clangers which now leave Harriers six points away from safety.

The Harriers boss said: "I can honestly say no-one will be hurting more than me. Last week was probably the most disappointed I've ever been at any stage during my footballing career.

"I include actually losing my job at Mansfield in that. This week is no different. I hope that is mirrored by the players' feelings. If it isn't then there's certainly something the matter with them."

Harriers' miserable defending from set-pieces left Watkiss in pieces as he felt his men were fully prepared for the threat of Shrewsbury who are now surely clear of relegation danger.

Watkiss admitted: "We have put up in the dressing room Shrewsbury's set-up from corners. We've done as much as we can.

"The players have to go head the ball and defend it. We lost so many first headers off set-pieces. We did thoroughly deserve the lead but ultimately you don't deserve to get anything out of a football match if you defend set-pieces like we have.

"It's an area we have to improve on but ironically we have defended set-pieces okay up until this game."

Billy Jones was left on the subs bench as Wayne Hatswell, one of Watkiss' "four best defenders", reverted to left-back.

Harriers started superbly with a simple goal on 13 minutes for Beardsley after Sturrock's clever shot had rebounded off the post.

Then a good move involving Bertrand Cozic and Ian Foster ended with Sturrock turning swiftly in the box to find the corner of the net in the 27th minute.

Former Bromsgrove man Stuart Whitehead, who earlier denied the busy John McGrath with a goal-line clearance, pulled off a similar feat to deny Foster on the half-hour.

But Harriers went into their shell when Moss headed in Jamie Tolley's corner on 33 minutes and the right-back was then able to hook home Neil Ashton's set-piece seven minutes later.

Langmead nodded in Tolley's cross in first-half injury-time to continue a remarkable turn-around that was completed when Rodgers nipped ahead of John Danby to net from Sam Aiston's low cross on 56 minutes.

Sturrock twice forced near-post blocks from Shrewsbury 'keeper Scott Howie in the second period but Harriers were a well beaten side.

Harriers: Danby 5; Mullins 5, Weaver 5, Jackson 5, Hatswell 5; Foster 5 (Russell 71), Cozic 6, Bennett 5, *McGrath 7; Sturrock 6, Beardsley 6. Subs not used: Lewis, Jones, Jenkins, Birch. Attendance: 5,309.