Kidderminster Harriers: Poor finishing ends FA Trophy hopes

Kidderminster Harriers boss Steve Burr blamed his team's lack of a 'cutting edge' as they went out of the FA Trophy in a tale of two penalties in Kent.

Bromley's 1-0 win was sealed by Danny Waldren's late first-half spot-kick, but Anthony Malbon blew a chance to level for Harriers when his injury-time penalty was saved by keeper Joe Welch.

"We just didn't have the cutting edge," Burr told BBC Hereford & Worcester.

"We could have been out of sight inside 20 minutes with the chances we had."

He continued: "We'll get criticised for going out to a side below us, but these things do happen. And it just shows how quickly things can come crashing down after the run we were on."

Bromley had already disposed of one Worcestershire side in knockout action this season, having beaten Worcester City in the first round of the the FA Cup in early November.

However, after a magnificent run of just one league defeat in 17 games, capped by a 3-2 win over Blue Square Bet Premier leaders Newport, Harriers were in confident mood.

And that made defeat all the harder to swallow for the 1987 Trophy winners.

Waldren's 44th minute penalty came after Josh Gowling was adjudged to have fouled Pierre Joseph-Dubois.

Ironically, it was then Waldren who gave away Harriers' late penalty for a foul on Gowling, but Malbon was denied by a brave double save from Welch.

"We had a lifeline with the penalty but that just summed up the day. We're very frustrated," said Burr, who led Harriers to the Trophy semi-finals three years ago in his first season in charge.

"We never got anywhere near the heights we've been hitting over the last few weeks, we didn't create anything worthwhile and we're very disappointed to go out.

"But Bromley worked hard, put their bodies in the way of things and made things difficult."

Harriers now return to league action next Saturday with a home game against promoted Dartford (22 December, 15:00 GMT).