PHIL Brown slammed the inconsistency of his Harriers players after they fell to defeat against FC Halifax Town at Aggborough to deepen their relegation worries.

A 2-0 set-back against the play-off chasing Shaymen left Harriers a point adrift of safety with two games left to play – a number of their rivals having as many as five to go.

It came at the end of the same week as the phenomenal 3-1 victory at Chesterfield on Easter Monday – something Brown said he just can’t understand.

Saying performance levels had dropped considerably for his entire team, he said at full time: “Today was a great opportunity and we didn’t grab hold of the opportunity.

“We set the opportunity up with a great performance last week and I just can’t understand, it’s beyond me, the level of inconsistency in every individual, from what I witnessed in a team playing in a game against a game of football against the Champions.

“To go from that to this today just beggars belief.”

The Aggborough atmosphere had been boosted pre-match by the news that some results elsewhere had gone the team’s way, and that with just a point, the home side could lift themselves out of the relegation zone for the first time since dropping in back in September of last year.

Brown named an unchanged side following the heroics at Chesterfield, but a first half of precious few chances for either side came and went, with only Amari Morgan-Smith’s sliding effort wide of the post and Charlie Weston’s effort wide being of note for the hosts.

It was even Harriers who went close again early in the second period when Weston’s effort flashed across the face, but FC Halifax were ahead five after the hour when Max Wright beat the offside trap, coolly lobbing Christian Dibble and finding the net.

With three left of normal time, Alex Penny fired over the bar with a rare Reds chance, but Town made sure the points were sewn up with a second goal two minutes later. Wright was again the man to net, weaving into the area and firing a deflected effort home.

Harriers are on home soil again next time out when they welcome Eastleigh to Aggborough on Saturday, 3pm, knowing only a win will do.