KIDDERMINSTER Harriers and Hereford United both aim to pep up disappointing Conference campaigns with LDV Vans Trophy shocks tonight.

Harriers have lost five of the last seven games to slip into the bottom half of the table, while the Bulls' form has not been much better with two wins from six fixtures.

However, they have a chance to upset Coca-Cola League Two sides in the first round tonight with Harriers entertaining Darlington and Hereford going to bottom-of-the-table Mansfield (both 7.45).

While Stuart Watkiss' men have a tendency to lift their game against the better sides, Graham Turner's defensively-strong team have struggled to score goals.

Hereford's 2-0 weekend win over Burton Albion at Edgar Street was the first time they had scored more than one since beating Crawley by two on August 20.

Harriers' nasty habit of losing to lowly opposition was highlighted by Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Aldershot -- their third defeat to basement teams over the last month.

Kidderminster can field teenage midfielder Simon Heslop, on loan from Barnsley, tonight and in Saturday's FA Cup fourth qualifying round trip to Southport.

But striker Taiwo Atieno, suffering with a back injury anyway, has been refused permission to play in either competition by his club Walsall.

The Worcestershire outfit could rest midfield veteran Martin O'Connor and wide-man Michael Blackwood (hamstring) is a doubt.

Watkiss will hand a first start of the season and only a second senior game to rookie goalkeeper Daniel Lewis in place of John Danby.

He said: "Dan deserves his opportunity in the first team in all fairness. He gets his head down and works hard in training all through the week and has a great attitude."

Meanwhile, Hereford, ninth in the table, enjoyed a terrific LDV Trophy run last season by claiming the scalps of Scunthorpe, Doncaster and Blackpool before losing 2-1 to eventual final winners Wrexham.

Forward Danny Carey-Bertram (hamstring) and defender Tamika Mkandawire (knee) will face fitness tests but striker Guy Ipoua (hamstring) could make the bench.

Turner said: "It's a nice game as the pressure is off us getting league points. But then Mansfield will look at it as a welcome break from the league too.

"With Mansfield not having the best of campaigns, it creates a nice challenge for our players to match themselves against Football League players.

"We have to go there with determination to go through. We got to the area semi-finals last season and had some outstanding games.

"Saturday's win was a vital three points, a solid performance, another clean sheet and the first time since the opening game of the season that we'd scored more than one at Edgar Street."