A MOMENT of madness - bordering on stupidity - from Anthony Griffith cost Town their chance of extending their unbeaten run to three matches.

The midfielder stood on Dean Bennett just 12 minutes into the clash at Aggborough earning an immediate red card.

And from that moment on it was going to take an almighty effort from the remaining players to get anything from the game.

That they lasted a full hour before conceding the only goal of the game speaks volumes for those who remained.

And the fact it was a spectacular own goal from Cortez Belle, whose diving header gave Adam Legzdins no chance, was a cruel blow and the second season in a row an own goal had given Kidderminster a single goal win over Town following Ryan Toulson's header last term.

Perhaps more cruel was the fact that Kidderminster were a team there for the taking.

They were devoid of ideas against the 10 men of Halifax and after scoring took every opportunity to waste time.

And it was the Shaymen, as they had with 10 men four days earlier at Cambridge, who finished stronger and no one would have denied that they did not deserve at least a point.

Greg Young got in a good challenge to deny James Constable an early shooting chance, but there was nothing in the opening exchanges that hinted at what was to happen just 12 minutes in when Bennett went to ground and Griffith, inexplicably, stood on him while he was down.

The referee had little option and Town's Plan A went out of the window.

But Plan B was equally good and they were comfortable up to half time as they held the Harriers at bay.

There was an appeal for a penalty from the home side when Russell Penn went to ground under a Young challenge, a James Constable shot that deflected wide and a Legzdins save from a Paul Bignot cross that almost became a shot when it drifted towards the top corner.

But there was nothing to suggest that Kidderminster had the guile to break down a defence in which Belle and Adam Quinn reigned supreme.

After a quiet opening to the second period, the game burst into life with chances coming at both ends.

Town had a couple, with Lewis Killeen going on a great run down the left before cutting inside and sending the ball flashing across the face of goal and wide.

Then Quinn's long ball forward was collected by Daryl Taylor who held it well before firing in a right foot shot that was beaten away by Harriers keeper Chris MacKenzie.

At the other end, Constable had a great chance, but lifted his shot over the advancing Legzdins and wide of the target, then the Town keeper saved well from Michael McGrath.

And Michael Blackwood ought to have done better than hit the side netting when well placed on the left.

Legzdins saved again in the 58th minute, pushing a Bennett shot from the edge of the box round the post after the ball found its way through a crowd of players.

The first was from a Kearney free kick which Belle rose superbly to head goalwards, but the ball just flew over the bar.

Belle then tried his luck from a 30-yard free kick. His shot was well struck and low but deflected off the wall and onto the outside of the post for a corner.

And with four minutes remaining, the Shaymen thought they had levelled from a Kearney corner.

Stamp rose well to head down and Taylor bundled the ball over the line.

No one appealed, but the referee had spotted a Stamp foul on a defender and the effort was ruled out.

Even in three minutes of added time the Shaymen continued to push forward, unnerving an anxious Kidderminster defence, but they were unable to break through.

Star Shayman
It seems unfair to single out individuals from another mammoth team effort from the Shaymen.

But skipper Tom Kearney was, once again, an immense presence for the Shaymen as they battled to defy the odds for the second successive game.

There can be few players in the Blue Square Premier as comfortable on the ball as the former Bradford City midfielder.

His set pieces enabled 10-man to cause Kidderminster's defence problems despite their numerical superiority and he snapped into the tackles right up the the final minute of stoppage time at the end of the game.

At the back, Adam Quinn is starting to look more like his old self again.

Whether in a three, as Town employed to begin with, or two, as they were forced into after Anthony Griffith's red card, he was comfortable.

And his aerial power was more than enough to consistently negate the home side's hopeful long ball game.

His centre back partner Cortez Belle also stepped up to the plate and it was exceptionally unfortunate that it should be his header that gave the Harriers the points.

Kearney takes the three points on offer in our season long competition
with Quinn two and Belle one.

Match Facts
Kidderminster Harriers: MacKenzie, Harkness (Ferrell 70), Whitehead, Creighton, Bignot (McGrath 46), Blackwood, Bennett, Hurren, Penn, Richards, Constable. Subs (not used): Coleman, Smikle, Barnes-Homer.
Booked: None
Sent-off: None
Goal: Belle 72og.

Halifax Town: Legzdins, Quinn, Belle, Young (Bushell 22), Bailey (Toulson 46), Griffith, Kearney, Wright, Taylor, Oliver (Stamp 82), Killeen. Subs (not used): Doughty, Torpey.
Booked: None
Sent Off: Griffith (12).
Goals: None

Attendance: 1,365.
Referee: S Rushton (Staffs).

Player Points
Andy Campbell 13, Jon Shaw 13, Tom Kearney 12, Daryl Taylor 8, Anthony Griffith 8, Steve Bushell 7, Cortez Belle 5, Danny Forrest 5, Lewis Killeen 5, Craig Mawson 3, Adam Quinn 2, Jake Wright 2, Steve Torpey 1.

You Say
The 10 men deserved a point for their efforts. Hope they make Griffith walk home - Angry Andy

Great effort with 10 men again. Griffith stupid and deserves fining. Kearney awesome. Need to sort our discipline out now! - Mark Dennis

Ill discipline and naive defending cost us. We deserved a point but to be down to 10 men for the second time in 4 days proved too much - Chadders