Kidderminster Harriers 0 Telford 0 - Report and pictures

The Bucks rarely troubled Harriers going forward but managed to nullify the threat of Joe Ironside and Ashley Chambers, who got 39 goals between them last season.

James Baxendale almost got on the scoresheet in stoppage time, being denied by a heroic Ryan Sears goal-line block.

That's four points from the Bucks' first two National League North games and it is the first time they have taken anything from Kidderminster since a 1-1 draw on October 4, 2014.

Telford made two changes to the side that started Saturday's season-opening 1-0 victory against Southport.

Shrewsbury Town loanee Sears replaced Steph Morley, who missed out through a slight knock, in defence while former Harrier Andre Brown came in for Daniel Udoh up top.

Brown was not the only Bucks player returning to his old stomping ground - fellow starters James McQuilkin, Darryl Knights and Amari Morgan-Smith had spells at Aggborough, as did substitute Adam Dawson.

The hosts had ex-Telford duo Lee Vaughan and Sam Austin playing as wing-backs and Kane Richards, who spent the end of last term at the New Bucks Head, on the bench.

Harriers began at a high tempo, eagerly pressing Gavin Cowan's charges and trying to force them into mistakes.

The Bucks, though, were also operating at speed and went close to opening the scoring on a couple of occasions – Knights chipping the ball wide before Ellis Deeney's long-range drive stung the palms of Brandon Hall.

With both sides set up with two in attack and not afraid to take a direct approach, it seemed they could end up cancelling each other out. Harriers looked sharper in possession but Telford had another good opening before the first half was done.

Skipper Shane Sutton, following a corner, headed the ball back across goal to Brown and he took a touch before firing over, on the stretch, from a few yards out.

The Bucks also had goalkeeper Max Bramley booked prior to the interval for kicking the ball away, preventing a quick Harriers throw-in.

It was not the most action-packed of halves, but Cowan would not have minded too much. Most of a Telford persuasion probably would have taken a point beforehand too.

Harriers chief Neil MacFarlane appeared very frustrated throughout the first period but didn't make a substitution for the start of the second.

The Bucks picked up another yellow card just after the restart, Brown the recipient, and they were not really doing anything to trouble the home side's backline - Brown and Morgan-Smith were seeing little of the ball.

Harriers made a change on the hour mark, Ed Williams entering the fray in place of Billy Daniels, while the vocal 226 travelling Telford fans tried to get their team going.

Cowan looked to liven things up with his first switch of the night as Jon Royle went on for Henry Cowans, who had been pretty quiet. Udoh then replaced Brown a couple of minutes later.

Harriers seemed the more likely to get a goal, with Bramley having to be brave to punch several crosses clear. Dan Bradley had a crack from distance which sailed well over the crossbar.

The Bucks made their final throw of the dice with 15 minutes to go, Dawson on for Knights. The speedy winger hardly had a kick, though.

Old Telford forward Richards and Baxendale also came on for the hosts, to no avail.

This was far from a classic, but there were a lot of positives to take from it for Cowan - the most obvious one being the fact they got a point at a ground where they have struggled over the past few years.

Leicester City loanee Bramley put in an assured display between the sticks and Sutton was dominant, winning several headers and making lots of tackles and blocks.

Their standout performer was Sears, who the club worked so hard to bring in for an initial month from Salop. The 19-year-old did not put a foot wrong at right-back, standing up to Harriers' physicality and denying Harriers a last-gasp winner.

Teams

Harriers (3-5-2): Hall; O'Connor (c), Horsfall, Johnson; Vaughan, Weeks, Daniels (Williams, 60), Bradley (Baxendale, 86), Austin; Chambers (Richards, 81), Ironside

Subs not used: Taylor, Digie

Telford (4-4-2): Bramley; Sears, Streete, Sutton (c), White; Cowans (Royle, 64), McQuilkin, Deeney, Knights (Dawson, 75); Brown (Udoh, 66), Morgan-Smith

Subs not used: Lilly, Martinez (gk)

Referee: Alex Kirkley (Manchester)

Attendance: 1,778 (266)