Cup dream over for Kidderminster Harriers - match analysis and highlights

Kidderminster Harriers went to Sunderland aiming to prolong their FA Cup story but returned with only pride as Charis Mavrias' fifth-minute goal was enough to see the home side through to the fifth round.

For Andy Thorn and his players, the party started by the third-round replay win over Peterborough United is over.

After a week of intense build-up, press conferences and risqué photo-shoots, reality set in as a much-changed Sunderland side simply proved too strong.

True, the margin of victory may have been narrow but it was nevertheless a deserved win for the Premier League hosts.

Harriers, for all their defensive determination and midfield hustle, rarely threatened after Michael Gash had been denied a quickfire equaliser by Oscar Ustari's point-blank save just minutes after Mavrias' opener.

• Sunderland 1 Kidderminster Harriers 0 - match report and pictures

Still, as the Sunderland lead remained at one there was always a chance the Skrill Conference side might snatch something and when the ball fell to Freddie Ladapo – only signed on Friday on a free transfer from League One Colchester – with two minutes to go an unlikely hero threatened to emerge. But his shot curled agonisingly wide of the far post.

At the other end, it was a different story, as Harriers spent much of the game under the cosh. For the opening half-hour of the second half, it felt like the ball barely left the visiting half and the final possession statistics – 75 per cent to the hosts – was of little surprise.

Not that it should be a cause of shame for Harriers, as they battled bravely in front of almost 4,000-visiting fans, who made plenty of noise throughout.

And they were unquestionably solid. Keeper Danny Lewis was rarely called into serious action, other than to pick the ball out of the net, in the course of 90 minutes.

That only added to a slight sense of disappointment at their failure to throw caution to the wind sooner than the final five minutes.

In truth they missed the poise and verve of the departed Joe Lolley, a player who could make something out of the scraps lone striker Gash so often found himself feeding on. Lolley is now at Huddersfield and Harriers must move on. Their return to earth comes quickly, tomorrow night at Hereford United to be exact, before they return to the north-east on Saturday and the slightly less grandiose setting of Gateshead's International Stadium.

It is vital they use the experience and the momentum from this cup run to push on in the league. Thorn has enjoyed something of a dream start to his tenure at Aggborough but he was appointed with the aim of getting the club into the Football League.

It is clear, from the three players already brought in, he has his own ideas of how to take them forward and over the next few weeks will look to stamp his mark on the team. With the party over, a hangover must be avoided.

Harriers' success at Peterborough was built on patient defence but any hope of the repeating the trick on Saturday suffered a hammer blow after five minutes when Josh Gowling, attempting to clear, only succeeded in finding Marvias and he took a touch before curling a finish past Lewis.

But the visitors could have been level within five minutes when Emanuele Giaccherini's overhit pass for Lee Cattermole proved the perfect through-ball for Gash, who struck his shot well but was denied by Ustari, who quickly pounced on the loose ball to stop it trickling into the net.

Giaccherini could have made it two soon after had he got a better purchase on Seb Larsson's right-wing cross, while he also dragged a shot wide.

Jack Byrne, the pick of the visiting midfielders, also shot wide following a lay-off from Gash but that was the sum of Harriers' efforts for the remainder of the half.

An off-target Jack Dyer shot aside, the second period saw the hosts increase their dominance but the cutting edge still lacked. The hosts were almost made to pay for their failure to find a second as Harriers upped their game in the final minutes.

First left-back Danny Jackman drove wide from 20 yards out before Ladapo almost marked his arrival at Aggborough in stunning fashion after collecting a Gash knockdown 12 yards out. It wasn't to be.

substitute Fabio Borini almost found the elusive second in stoppage time but was denied by a great Lee Vaughan block.

Referee Roger East blew the whistle soon after and the players, together with Thorn, went to applaud the travelling fans.

The fairytale might be over. The hard work is just beginning.