Harriers 0 Gateshead 1

The setback was particularly cruel on Harriers' goalkeeper Dean Snedker whose man-of-the match performance kept his side in with a chance of securing what would have been a well-deserved point.

The last-gasp defeat, which followed successive home wins against Woking and Aldershot Town, leaves Dave Hockaday's relegation-haunted troops firmly rooted at the foot of the table, still eight points away from safety.

Gateshead pinched victory when Snedker was finally beaten by Paddy McLaughlin's dramatic winner.

Aggborough head coach Hockaday said: "It was tough to take. It's why we are where we are. For the second week in a row we have done more than enough to keep a clean sheet.

"We had enough chances, especially in the second half, to have scored, but if you don't take your chances you don't win games. We have just got to be more ruthless at both ends.

"Anyone who came here knows we worked our socks off and I feel for the players."

Snedker began his heroics within the opening couple of minutes when he pulled off super saves to keep out shots from McLoughlin and Gus Mafuta.

Harriers' best efforts during the first period came from Jordan Jones and Gurjit Singh, who both had shots safely dealt with by the Heed's keeper Sam Russell.

Singh had a great opportunity to nudge Harriers ahead a few minutes after the break, but the striker fired high over the bar with only Russell to beat.

Snedker kept Kidderminster in the game just before the hour mark when he managed to push a free-kick by Jordan Cranston onto the bar before the danger was cleared.

Snedker also thwarted McLaughlin shortly afterwards before the midfielder finally plunged Harriers to defeat by scrambling the ball into the net from close range.

It was a sickening blow for Kidderminster, who rang the changes during the second half including the introduction of their latest capture Omari Patrick – a 65th-minute replacement for Dino Fazlic. Winger Patrick was recently with Beaconsfield.

Matthew Barnes-Homer and Matt Young were also drafted on in the second period, but the switches failed to give Harriers the lift they urgently needed to prevent the Tynesiders from claiming points.

Defeat left Kidderminster three points adrift at the foot of the table at the start of a month in which they face a clutch of difficult league fixtures against Eastleigh, Cheltenham Town and Forest Green Rovers.

Kidderminster: Snedker; Hodkgiss, Langmead, Howkins, Francis-Angol; Jones (Barnes-Homer, 77), Maxwell, Fazlic (Patrick 65), McQuilkin; Whitfield (Young, 84), Singh. Subs not used: Brown, Rowe-Turner.

Gateshead: Russell; Baxter, Curtis, Clark, Cranston; Mafuta, Ramsden, McLaughlin, Bowman Honeyman (Johnson, 90), Hamilton (Wrightson, 64). Subs not used: MacDonald, Buddie, Smith.

Ref: D Eaton (Gloucs). Att: 1,489.