YOU'VE heard of agoraphobia when sufferers are afraid to leave the house for fear of open spaces.

Well Kidderminster Harriers are fast developing Aggborough-phobia, a rare condition which makes them afraid to leave their home ground for fear of losing.

As soon as Harriers board the team bus and get to the end of Hoo Road, any confidence and competence seem to go out of the window. Just compare their recent form book.

At Aggborough, Harriers have taken an encouraging haul of seven points from their last three games, while on their travels the number seven is equally significant - it is the number of games they have lost in succession.

It's getting to the stage where matches outside of Worcestershire are becoming increasingly pointless for Jan Molby's men. Both in the sense that Harriers are habitually returning home empty-handed and that the outcome is so depressingly predictable.

Even the most optimistic Kidderminster fan is starting to write the side off before they have ventured out of the visitors' dressing room. Opponents too are wising up to the fact that Harriers are a soft touch on their travels as Chester boss Ian Rush demonstrated with his motivational tactics. Pinned to the player's tunnel at the Deva Stadium was a copy of Kidderminster's away record, presumably to remind the Chester players that Harriers were easy prey.

And the fact that it now reads played eight, lost seven, conceded 18 and scored one, proves that away games involving Kidderminster are becoming home bankers for their hosts.

Once again the most frustrating thing was that Harriers seemed to have a foothold in the game after starting steadily and enjoying plenty of possession.

But the nearest they came to breaching Chester's defence was a blocked overhead kick from James Keene and a couple of half-hearted efforts from Abdou Sall.

Just as worrying are their problems at the other end, soon to become even more of a concern following Wayne Hatswell's sending off and three-match ban. The straight red card for chopping down Michael Branch as he burst through seemed a tad harsh on Hatswell on his return to his former club.

But both he and manager Molby were fairly philosophical that if you commit a foul in that area of the pitch you run the risk of being dismissed. Harriers were already a goal down by then after Branch was allowed to roam free in the box and head in a 21st minute corner.

Kevin Ellison rubbed salt into Harriers' wounds straight after the sending off by cleverly curling in the subsequent free kick and was was also involved in the third goal when his free kick to Daryl Clare was only half-cleared and Ben Davies swept the ball in through a crowded goal-mouth.

With his players' physical and mental well-being taking a constant battering, Molby must hope that a return to home comforts for their next two games lifts the growing sense of gloom.

CHESTER: MacKenzie, Edmondson, Hessey (Vaughan 73), Bolland, Hope, Drummond (Rapley 78), Ellison, Carden, Davies, Branch, Belle (Clare 60). Subs not used: Harris, Doyle.

HARRIERS: Danby 7, COOPER 8, Burton 6, Sall 6, Hatswell 7, Advice-Desruisseaux 6 (McHale 53 6), Christiansen 6, Keates 6, Jenkins 6, Langmead 6 (Diop 60, 6 ), Keene 6 (Foster 60, 6). Subs not used: Lewis, McMahon.

REFEREE: Mark Cowburn (Blackpool)

ATTENDANCE: 2,968.