FRUSTRATED Kidderminster Harriers boss Ian Britton is fed up of seeing his players chasing games.

Britton saw the problem lead to Harriers' downfall in a 2-1 FA Cup first round replay defeat at Rushden and Diamonds on Tuesday.

They have not scored first in a game this month and slipped to ninth in the tight Division Three table after Saturday's game with Oxford was postponed.

If Harriers are going to overcome their first-half jitters in November, it will have to be at leaders Hartlepool on Saturday.

Britton remained positive and insisted: "Hartlepool is a good match to carry on with so I'm not worried about that.

"We have got to get the Rushden defeat out of our system and there is still lots to play for."

But Hartlepool will also be bidding to bounce back after a surprise 2-1 FA Cup home defeat to Southend while Harriers were losing at Rushden.

They are adapting to a new manager with former Everton and Blackburn striker Mike Newell having replaced Sheffield Wednesday-bound Chris Turner.

Britton continued: "We've got to get back to basics, working on the things that brought us success earlier in the season. We've got to believe in ourselves again.

"We were chasing the game at Rushden once again. We can't afford to keep giving the opposition a head-start."

Harriers' squad will be swelled for Saturday with the return of suspended skipper Sean Flynn and on-loan striker Andy Bishop who was not signed in time for the cup match.

But defender Abdou Sall is struggling with a virus this week and Scott Stamps is set to miss up to three months with surgery needed on a groin injury.

Sean Parrish (groin), Dean Bennett (groin), Adie Smith (foot) and goal-scorer Drewe Broughton (foot) all had to pass fitness tests to play on Tuesday as Harriers' small squad was severely tested.

And seven-goal striker Bo Henriksen will miss a future game, possibly the LDV Vans Trophy southern quarter-final at Brentford on December 10, after picking up his fifth booking at Rushden.

Meanwhile, Britton dismissed talk of a possible loan return for Wolverhampton Wanderers midfield sensation John Melligan.

He fumed: "I'm sick of being asked about it. It's always Melligan this or Melligan that. Melligan is at Wolves and that's that."