THE promise of safety is so agonisingly close for York City you can almost smell it.

They came close to all but securing it at Bootham Crescent on Saturday but instead the tension lingers.

However, few Minstermen fans could begrudge having to wait that bit longer after an absorbing six-goal thriller of end to end football against Cardiff City.

And if City continue to play as they did against the flying-high Bluebirds then it is inconceivable that the necessary points won't be accrued sooner rather than later.

For while Cardiff were able to celebrate promotion back to the Second Division at the final whistle City had proved themselves more than a match for the visitors, wiping out the horror of the 4-0 hammering suffered at Ninian Park back in November.

The goals City conceded were disappointing in that they all came from the same source - the head of the gigantic Leo Fortune-West who helped himself to a hat-trick.

But given the quality of the balls delivered into the City box Cardiff, the highest scorers in the Football League, were always going to make chances.

What is abundantly clear though now is City no longer, as they did so often earlier in the season, buckle under concerted pressure or when the opposition get their noses in front.

And after proving their defensive resolve in their climb to near safety, on Saturday City flexed their muscles as an attacking force and proved they carry a goal threat of their own too.

Not surprisingly given what was at stake for both sides, the game began at frantic pace and rarely dipped throughout the 90.

Cardiff skipper Andy Legg's long throw was an obvious weapon in Cardiff's armoury, catapulted in with pace and unerring accuracy.

But in left wing-back Matthew Brazier Cardiff possessed an equally potent supply line to the front.

As quality centres rained in Fortune West headed wide, Paul Brayson saw his shot bravely blocked by Mark Bower, Kevin Evans screwed wide with the goal at his mercy and Jason Bowen volleyed just past the upright.

But with Graham Potter and Darren Edmondson also getting forward and Lee Nogan and Colin Alcide showing signs of a blossoming strike partnership City were not without their moments too.

Mike Basham looped a header just wide of the upright from a Potter cross, was just inches from latching on to another while Alcide was equally close to poking home another low centre from the City wing-back.

The game was simmering nicely then when it suddenly reached boiling point on 37 minutes.

With Alan Fettis seemingly impeded as he came to claim Legg's corner Chris Brass hacked Rhys Weston's header of the line but Fortune-West was on hand to bundle the ball home through a crowd of players.

Cardiff's celebrations were short-lived as within minutes City were level.

Nogan's turn proved too sharp for Weston who hauled down the City striker and skipper Brass was coolness personified as he stroked the resultant spot-kick home.

Having got back on level terms, City were made to pay for another crucial lapse of concentration as Cardiff regained the lead deep into first-half stoppage time.

With City for once sluggish to pressure the ball Willie Boland was able to pick out Fortune-West, who got in front of his marker to arrow a header past the outstretched hand of Fettis and into the corner of the goal.

The game continued to ebb and flow after the break, Fettis turning Young's shot over the bar with his foot before Alcide forced a smart save from Carl Muggleton with a near-post effort.

But so to did the goals with City getting back on level terms just past the hour mark with a goal simplicity personified in its construction.

Bower lofted the ball forward from within his own half, Alcide won the flick and Nogan raced clear to slot the ball past Muggleton.

Six-minutes later in this topsy-turvy tie and City got their noses in front from another goal with its foundations in the boot of a City defender.

Basham this time delivered a telling free-kick from within City's half to pick out Edmondson, who skipped past his marker and delivered a pin-point centre which just needed nodding home by Alcide.

This time it was City's turn to see their celebrations curtailed however as within four minutes Cardiff forced an equaliser.

Kevin Evans' free-kick looked harmless another but Fortune-West emerged head and shoulders above a crowd of players to looped the ball past Fettis for a third time.

Still the chances continued to flow at either end - you couldn't afford to blink - but perhaps surprisingly no more goals were forthcoming.

At the final whistle, Cardiff fans enveloped the pitch in delight.

City's 'celebrations' will have to be put on ice, but it is surely only a matter of time before the champagne corks are popping at Bootham Crescent.

York City:

Scorers: Brass 40mins (pen), Nogan 62mins, Alcide 68mins

Alan Fettis 6, Darren Edmondson 7, Graham Potter 7, Chris Brass 6, Mike Basham 6, Mark Bower 7, Richard Cooper 6, Nick Richardson 6, Lee Bullock 7, Colin Alcide 8, Lee Nogan 8.

Subs not used:Russ Howarth, Matt Hocking, Scott Emmerson, David McNiven, Neville Stamp

Booked: Bullock 64mins (foul)

Sent off: None

Cardiff City:

Scorers: Fortune-West 37mins, 45mins, 72mins

Carl Muggleton, Andy Thompson, Andy Legg, Scott Young, Rhys Weston, Matthew Brazier, Willie Boland, Jason Bowen (Robert Earnshaw 70mins), Kevin Evans (Scott McCulloch 75mins), Paul Brayson, Leo Fortune-West.

Subs not used: Russell Perrett, James Collins, Martyn Giles

Booked:Brazier 39mins, Young 39mins (both dissent)

Sent off: None

Attendance: 3,881

Ref: David Laws(Whitley Bay)

Updated: 12:42 Monday, April 23, 2001