Harriers 1, Curzon Ashton 1.

HARRIERS struck an injury time equaliser to share the spoils with Curzon Ashton at Aggborough.

Dan Bradley headed home a late corner as the hosts took a point from what had been a frustrating afternoon.

The wasteful Reds had previously passed up a host of clear-cut opportunities before falling behind to a Dan Morton header in the second half.

The hosts had been kept at bay by inspired Curzon stopper Cam Mason until Bradley salvaged something from the contest.

Harriers named an unchanged line-up from the team that beat Brackley two weeks before. The only change came among the subs as Billy Daniels replaced Ed Wagner on the bench.

The hosts made a bright start to the contest and were soon dominating the ball on a slick Aggborough pitch.

Despite that possession, chances of note were few and far between as the visitors looked to hold a high line early on.

The first opening of the half came after 20 minutes when Ash Chambers was found in the area but couldn’t lift the ball over Curzon keeper Cam Mason.

The Kidderminster skipper nearly exposed the space in behind the visiting defence just four minutes later but again Mason saved.

It was the hosts who continued to do the pressing and they again forced Mason into action on 30 minutes when the keeper saved at the feet of Ed Williams after the attacker had seized on the loose ball in the area after Dan Bradley’s initial shot from distance was blocked.

However, Harriers couldn’t find a way to unlock the stubborn Curzon rearguard as the clash ended goalless at the break.

The game quickly fell into the same pattern at the start of the second period with Harriers again having to be patient for long spells.

They should have broke the deadlock five minutes after the restart but again Chambers squandered the chance as he curled narrowly wide of the far post after Dan Bradley had played him in.

Home stopper Brandon Hall was called into action for the first time on 57 minutes when he saved well from Ryan Brooke after the Curzon hitman was left unmarked at the far post after a deep ball in.

Still Harriers pressed and still Mason kept them at bay. He again foiled Chambers on 65 minutes when he kept out his low angled drive following another neat ball from Bradley.

Instead it was Curzon Ashton that went ahead with just 15 left on the clock as Dan Morton headed beyond Hall from six yards out when left unmarked from a free-kick from out wide.

Harriers were soon on the front foot again looking to salvage the situation but Sam Austin drilled over the bar and sub George Waring saw another chance blocked after he’s turned just inside the box as time ran down.

Williams nearly found a leveller with three minutes left on the clock but his low effort was again kept out by Mason.

He then clawed away a header from Waring in injury time as the star man again frustrated the hosts.

Harriers finally found a way past Mason in the final minute of injury when Bradley rose in a crowded penalty area to head home Declan Weeks’ corner.

The point lifts Harriers one place to fifth ahead of Boxing Day’s clash at Hereford.

Harriers: Hall, Vaughan, Austin, Penn (Daniels 80), Horsfall, Johnson, Weeks, Richards (Waring 73), Chambers (c), Bradley, Williams.

Unused subs: Baxendale, Phillips, Palmer.

Curzon Ashton: Mason, Morton, McJannett, Hunt (c), Shaw, Fawns (Khoury 80), Guest, Rowney, Brooke (Shenton 90), Crankshaw, Merrill (McAtee 73).

Unused subs: O’Leary, Wall.

Att: 1,407 (30).