Graham Stack was sent off as Barnet lost 0-1 to Kidderminster Harriers to fall to their third consecutive Skrill Premier defeat.
After two disappointing performances the Bees’ Dutch duo were looking for a response and despite the result they got one as Harriers cleared the ball off the line on four occasion during an agonisingly frustrating 90 minutes for the Bees.
Chance after chance came and went but blame cannot be passed to the forwards who like their teammates worked tirelessly until a Graham Stack red card in the 80th ended hopes of a late comeback.
Barnet made five changes to the starting XI who were beaten 0-1 by Gateshead at The Hive last weekend. Stack returned in goal with Valentin Gjokaj, Marciano Mengerink, Jon Nurse and Harry Crawford also coming in.
The Bees created the first chance of the game within the opening two minutes when Marciano Mengerink brought down Andy Yiadom’s long ball forward before having a shot blocked.
With eleven minutes played the hosts threatened for the first time but after linking well with Anthony Malbon defender Lee Vaughan shot straight at Stack.
Two minutes later the Bees saw two efforts blocked away in quick succession as the Kidderminster rearguard threw themselves in the way of shots from Curtis Weston and Harry Crawford.
The Bees grew into the game as the half as wore on with Kieron Cadogan enjoying a particularly productive afternoon but after he evaded three defenders Mengerink shot wastefully into the side netting with 15 minutes played.
Seven minutes later Cadogan went alone after leaving more Harriers’ defenders in his wake but his delicate chip beat Danny Lewis and the crossbar.
Both sides had chances in the middle stages of the half with Lewis thwarting Cadogan from a 35-yard free-kick and Michael Gash heading just wide following a well-worked Kidderminster set-piece.
The home side were incredibly lucky to go into the break level with Jon Nurse having not one, not two but three efforts blocked off the line before Malbon almost scored a sensational solo effort just before the half-time whistle.
Harriers continued to ride their luck during the second-half with Ashley Grimes clearing Cadogan’s close-range effort off the line just two minutes after the restart.
Eight minutes later Harriers almost took the lead but Stack, who returned from more than two months out through injury, did well to palm Malbon’s curling effort to safety.
With one hour played the home side took the lead in the most fortuitous of circumstances as Gash’s shot from just outside the box deflected off a Barnet player and looped over the helpless Stack.
The Bees responded well to going a goal down any kind of luck continued to evade them and just two minutes after going behind Crawford was inches away from turning home from a Mauro Vilhete cross.
On loan Derby County defender Gkokaj was next to be denied as Lee Vaughan cleared his header en route to goal.
Keanu Marsh-Brown and Luke Gambin were introduced and the former danced his way to the byline and picked up Cagogan who looked certain to score but again the Harriers’ back line threw their bodies in the way.
With just under ten minutes remaining and the pressure continuing to build the Bees’ comeback hopes were ended as a long ball caught Stack out of position and he collided Marvin Johnson leaving the referee little option other than to award a straight red card.
Despite being a man down the Bees continued to throw everything forward but Kidderminster held on to secure an extremely fortunate three points.
Kidderminster Harriers: Lewis, L Vaughan, Demetriou, Malbon, Grimes, Jackman, Gittings (Johnson 80), Morgan-Smith, O’Keefe (Byrne 53), Gash (Wright 69), Gowling.
Subs not used: N Vaughan, Bell.
Barnet: Stack, Yiadom, Stephens, Gjokaj, Vilhete; Abdulla (Marsh-Brown 73), Weston, Cadogan (Gambin 77); Nurse (Jupp), Crawford, Mengerink.
Subs not used: Johnson, Warren.
Attendance: 1950 (158 away)
