A WIN and something to smile about for York City at the end of an often harrowing campaign.

But most of the smiles at Bootham Crescent on Saturday were probably through gritted teeth.

With nothing at stake for either side there was the tantalising prospect of champagne football.

But what was served up was more akin to Chinese water torture - drip, drip, drab, drab.

Given that their last two outings have offered up such minimal excitement, perhaps we should be perversely grateful that City's future was made certain only in the dying embers of the season. At least it kept things interesting.

To be fair on the Minstermen, they were the only side who deserved to win the game. Indeed, they looked the only side who wanted to win the game.

For if City could be accused of being lethargic and laboured, Kidderminster, the odd spark here and there aside, were positively horizontal.

Indeed, Alan Fettis could probably have played the first 45 minutes still clutching his batch of end of season gongs so little did the City goalkeeper have to do.

But City, without the workrate and movement of Lee Nogan, simply huffed and puffed without ever quite clicking.

Graham Potter continued his renaissance by delivering any number of telling balls from the left while Richard Cooper displayed the hunger of a player who didn't want the season to end.

And had City had more of a cutting edge in the first half especially they could conceivably have been a couple of goals to the good.

Steve Agnew rifled in a low drive that needed a safe pair of hands from Tim Clarke, Colin Alcide flashed a header just wide and Nick Richardson was unfortunate to have his header hacked off the line by Adie Smith.

But in truth their was little zip or sparkle to the proceedings.

Terry Dolan shuffled his pack at half-time in an attempt to breathe some life into his weary troops, replacing Agnew with Neville Stamp and David McNiven with Scott Emmerson and switching to 4-4-2.

There was certainly a bit more passion and goalmouth action but it was still rather too forced.

Chris Brass rolled in a clever pass behind the Kidderminster defence but Alcide's first touch was poor, forcing him to shoot from too tight an angle.

Another Alcide header went just inches wide before Edmondson was the second City player to see a header cleared off the line, this time by Scott Stamps.

But after fumbling around long enough looking for an answer City finally found one - ironically from a fumble from former Minstermen goalkeeper Clarke.

The Harriers shot-stopper looked to have comfortably collected Edmondson's free-kick on 76 minutes but inexplicably dropped the ball at the feet of Alcide.

The striker, with his back to goal, couldn't believe his luck and promptly hooked the ball over his head and into an empty net.

The goal at least kick-started Kidderminster and City were grateful for a brave block from Mark Bower to deny Stewart Hadley an equaliser.

And when the Harriers did finally get the ball in the back of the net with a real howitzer from Neil Mackenzie the goal was ruled out for offside.

It was left to the man of the season Fettis to have the final say, booting the ball high and mighty into the sky as the final whistle blew. It seemed an appropriate end.

Goodbye to the 2000-01 season, and good riddance.

City Match Facts

Nationwide Football League Division Three

Saturday, May 5, 2001

York City 1, Kidderminster 0

York City

Scorers: Alcide 76 minutes

YORK CITY: Alan Fettis 7, Chris Brass 7, Mike Basham 6, Mark Bower 6, Graham Potter 8, Darren Edmondson 6, Richard Cooper 8, Steve Agnew 6 (Neville Stamp 6, 46mins), Nick Richardson 7, Colin Alcide 7, David McNiven 6 (Scott Emmerson 7, 46mins)

Subs, not used: Russ Howarth, Matt Hocking, Leigh Wood

Bookings: Basham 53mins (foul), Brass 88mins (foul)

Sent-off: None

Kidderminster

MIDDERMINSTER: Tim Clarke, Scott Stamps, Craig Hinton, Adie Smith, Thomas Skovberg (Dean Bennett 63mins), Parfait Medou-Otye, Ben Davies (Stewart Hadley 63mins), John Durnin, Neil Mackenzie, Daire Doyle, Andrew Corbett (Tony Bird 63mins)

Subs, not used: Stuart Brock, Andy Ducros

Bookings: None

Sent-off: None

Evening Press/Unique Pub Man of the Match: GRAHAM POTTER

Underlined his continued improvement with another promising display. Posed City's greatest threat with a number of fine centres from the left.

Match Stats

York City

Half-time 0

Corners 8

Shots on target 4

Fouls committed 14

Match Stats

Kidderminster

Half-time 0

Corners 7

Shots on target 1

Fouls committed 16

Attendance: 3,185

Referee: Keith Hill (Royston, Herts)