MISSED opportunities proved costly for Harriers as a goal in either half sealed all three points for Gateshead.

Gary Whild’s men now face an even tougher challenge to claim a top-five finish but it could all have been so different as they came close on numerous occasions at the Gateshead International Stadium.

With only one change from Saturday’s stalemate at Nuneaton Town, as Callum Gittings replaced Aaron Wildig whose loan spell came to an end, Harriers took a while to get going and were punished in the first half.

A well-hit cross by Matty Pattison found Alex Rodman in the centre who had the simple task of heading past Danny Lewis three minutes before the interval.

The visitors emerged with increased vigour after the break and began to apply the pressure, restricting the hosts mainly to counter-attacks.

But having failed to take advantage of three stand-out opportunities, Harriers conceded at the death, as substitute Carl Finnigan slotted home a simple move from another Pattison assist.

Before that, however, Danny Wright, Lee Hughes and Aman Verma had all missed excellent chances to draw Harriers level.

Wright fired straight down the centre from Jack Byrne’s low right-sided pass shortly before the hour mark, before Hughes fired high and wide after 76 minutes from a prominent position where you’d have expected the experienced centre-forward to find the net.

With eight minutes left, Verma glanced a header inches wide from Kevin Nicholson’s corner to set up a tense finale from which Gateshead emerged victorious.

Gary Whild said: “From my point of view it’s good to be creating chances, and over the course of the season we’ve done that - but we can’t put the ball in the back of the net.

“The lads don’t miss those chances and they are gutted in there.

“I don’t think there was much in the first half and it was a little bit disappointing to go into half time a goal down.

“We reacted in the second half and got a foothold in the game.

“We had a good Gateshead team on the back foot but football is about fine lines and it’s no good feeling sorry for ourselves tonight.”

Harriers: Lewis, Hodgkiss, Byrne, Wright, Grimes, Verma, Gittings (Reffell, 83), Knowles (Green, 63), Nicholson, Gowling, Hughes. Subs not used: Obeng, Tunnicliffe, Asante.

Gateshead: Bartlett, Jones, Curtis, Clark, Oster, Ramshaw, Baxter, Rodman, Pattison, Gjokaj, Campbell (Finnigan, 77). Subs not used: Shaw, Allan, Rankine, Roberts.

Attendance: 620 (19 away).

Referee: Darren England (Barnsley)