KIDDERMINSTER Harriers picked up a useful point at promotion hopefuls Halifax Town this afternoon with Mark Yates' men stretching their unbeaten run to four games.

Harriers became just the fifth side to leave The Shay with a share of the spoils, Chris Wilder's men still unbeaten in league action on their own turf. 

Yates handed starts to two of his new recruits, with Jake Sedgemore and Andy White replacing the departed Mark Jackson and Iyseden Christie in the first eleven.

The first half at The Shay Stadium was a scrappy affair but Yates perhaps went in at the break the happier of the two managers' with his side having the best of precious little action.

It was Harriers 'keeper John Danby who needed to be early in the very early stages though - with Town's Justin Bowler rifling a shot over the cross bar from the edge of the penalty area. It was obviously a signal of Bowler's intentions though; as he went close again at the end of the half with a dangerous corner that had Danby scrambling.

The visitors made plenty of forward moves themselves - with Johnny Harkness and Jake Sedgemore performing well to lift the ball up field.

Russ Penn knocked a dangerous header wide after ten or so minutes but the most dangerous chance of the half for the reds came just a few minutes before the break when White played Russell (above) through on goal, the former Hull man shooting just inches wide of the post.

The home side came out after the break feeling somewhat ambitious, with John Grant and Steve Bushell testing Danby with long rage efforts, though nothing too troublesome.

Johnny Mullins got the away side out of a sticky situation just moments later however with the on-loan Reading man doing well to rob Danny Forrest of position as he looked to line up a shot at goal.

The Halifax corner count seemed to be ever growing throughout the second period as Bowler continually got the chance to provide ammunition for his side - the away defensive held firm despite the pressure with new skipper Daryl Burgess leading the line. Paul Smith and Gareth Sheldon were brought on to freshen things up at the other end with boss Yates' still looking to push forward.

Immediately Sheldon had a good chance to open the scoring after the hour mark as Harriers looked to catch their opposition on the counter attack; he chose to shoot early rather than using the unmarked Russell, the shot eventually going wide.

As the two teams battled with the clock running down, Forrest wasted a golden chance for the home side as he spurred a lose ball high over the crossbar from inside the area after Ryan Sugden's shot was blocked.

Four minutes of injury time were added on in which Smith went agonisingly close to notching a debut goal with a fine 12-yard effort that was saved well by Kennedy between the sticks for Halifax.

The result moves Harriers up one place to 13th in the table with Aldershot going down 2-1 at Stevenage.