HARRIERS' search for a new manager took on fresh urgency as two goalkeeping howlers from John Danby condemned caretaker boss Martin O'Connor to his third Conference defeat from four games.

Making his first start for 14 games after Dan Lewis gifted Burton the winner last Friday, Danby did his hopes of holding onto the number one jersey no good at all with two basic blunders.

Having started brightly Harriers found themselves a goal down against the run of play on 10 minutes when Danby spilled a well-struck but routine free kick from Warren Peyton and Colin Little gratefully gobbled up the rebound.

Error number two all but killed off Kidderminster when the former Albion trainee inexplicably dallied over a clearance on 36 minutes, kicking the ball against Rod Thornley and leaving the Alty attacker to slide it into an empty net from an acute angle.

In fact the only person to perform worse than the returning keeper was the match official Amy Rayner.

As the transfer window cranks open, top scorer Iyseden Christie is sure to have a legion of admirers.

Sadly, Rayner is not among them as she showed when she denied Christie his second clear cut penalty of the season.

Having failed to award a spot kick when the burly striker was scythed down by the keeper in the goalless draw with York in November, the woman-in-the-middle ignored just as blatant an appeal at Moss Lane on Monday.

Christie was clean through and was in the process of rounding Robins stopper Stuart Coburn INSIDE the box after Terry Fleming had won possession and slid through a measured pass.

But as Coburn and right back Stuart Aspinall combined to haul down the former Mansfield man, Ms Rayner, given absolutely no assistance from her linesman, insisted the offence occurred outside the area and awarded a free kick.

Not for the first or last time of the afternoon Kidderminster contrived to waste the deadball opportunity when Gareth Sheldon bent a curling effort wide - and Harriers were understandably furious at the referee.

Christie was left frustrated again minutes later when he showed fleet of foot to work an opening and force Coburn into a smart save with his legs, but despite Harriers dominating first half possession that was the sum of their clear-cut chances.

Danby tried his best to atone for his mistakes, turning Little's low drive behind for a corner before pushing the same player's header on to a post just before the break.

But the damage was done and just as annoying as his individual errors was his outfield team-mates collective lack of a cutting edge.

It took until the 76th minute for them to fashion a decent opening in the second half when Christie burst onto Fleming's fine pass only to get he ball stuck under his feet.

That earned the striker a mouthful of abuse from supporters, which he returned with interest in an episode which could have soured his relationship with the Aggborough public.

Simon Russell's arrival from the bench gave Harriers a bit of life, but daydreaming at the other end saw Little left unmarked in the dangerzone to head in Colin Potts' 78th minute corner and secure a 3-0 scoreline that flattered Altrincham and embarrassed Kidderminster.