THE talk was of apathy after the match and it may, as John Batchelor inferred, rule for the time being on the streets of York.

But on Saturday afternoon those loyal souls who were in attendance could have been forgiven for believing it had seeped on to the pitch at Bootham Crescent.

City didn't play all that badly in a largely stale affair and against a team with one eye on promotion.

But rather like a garden firework, they shone brightly for all too brief a time before fading away and it was left to the visitors to provide the big bang finale.

There was no doubting the style from the Minstermen, especially in the first half, but the substance was missing and after the brightest of openings there was no va-va-voom, no oomph, no spark.

No one can deny that City played some lovely free-flowing football inside the opening half hour, knitting delicate patterns across the pitch with some great one-touch stuff.

City's midfield looked decidedly lightweight, but what they lacked in years and muscle they more than made up for with their instinct to pass and move.

It was neat, it was purposeful and in the opening exchanges there was a lively tempo, a real ebb and flow to the game.

But as entertainment goes it was more family film than thriller. It held your attention but you weren't gripping your seat.

Lacking a real injection of pace, lacking genuine width, lacking someone with the ability to drop their shoulder and actually beat a man - basically lacking Michael Proctor - City were easy on the eye but did not have that all important cutting edge.

Alex Mathie saw an effort deflected over the bar, Lee Bullock curled a good shot wide from the edge of the area, while Leigh Wood had a decent claim for a penalty waved away by referee Mike Jones.

But for all City's pleasing approach play it tended to be done in front of the Kidderminster defence rather than behind it and with no real sting in the tail genuine chances and clear sights of goal for the Minstermen were at a premium.

Likewise, the Harriers rarely brandished their talons. They were organised and workmanlike but nothing special, although Drewe Broughton at least forced a couple of saves from Alan Fettis.

His first came on 19 minutes, seizing on a slip by City skipper Chris Brass his near-post crack was pushed around an upright by the City goalkeeper.

His second attempt came right in first half stoppage time. Shrugging off the attention of Mike Basham, Broughton turned and hit a low drive that had Fettis at full stretch.

A sense of urgency lacking, it was perhaps no surprise to see the ever-willing Darren Edmondson thrown into the fray for the start of the second half.

His bite and drive down the right has been sorely missed in recent outings and within minutes of his arrival had made his mark, picking out Lee Nogan with a pin-point cross only for the City striker to glance his header straight into the arms of Steve Brock.

On the opposite flank, Graham Potter was quick to follow his fellow wing-back's lead, picking out Wood with a low centre.

The young midfielder took one touch before turning sharply but having given himself room for a shot pulled his effort just wide.

City's best chance of the game came on 72 minutes after a trademark Edmondson surge down the wing. Unfortunately for City, the finish was trademark Edmondson too.

Picking up the ball inside his own-half, his bundled his way through a sea of challenges, played a one-two of sort with Mathie, cut inside Kidderminster's last defender but with just the 'keeper to beat blazed his shot over the bar.

But while chances were clearer for City, so too Kidderminster came closer to breaking the deadlock than they had done in the first.

Substitute Andy Ducros screwed a gilt-edged chance wide at the near post, Broughton headed just inches over from a corner before on 77 minutes Ducros again was in the clear but saw his stiff drive well saved by Fettis.

It should have proved a warning shot to the City defence but it obviously went unheeded as within minutes Kidderminster had snatched the lead.

Brass and Stephen Brackstone tried one pass too many in a congested midfield and with the City defence gone walkabout Ducros was able to release Larkin into acres of space.

The on-loan Wolves striker raced clear, steadied himself before carefully passing the ball past Fettis.

It barely crossed the line but what it lacked in pace it made up for in impact.

It was a killer blow and there was no way back for a toothless and now pointless City.

York City: Fettis 7, Brass 6, Basham 5, Parkin 7, Potter 5, Wood 6, Brackstone 6, Bullock 7, O'Kane 5 (Edmondson 46m, 6), Nogan 6, Mathie 5 (Emmerson 73m)

Subs, not used: Howarth, Hocking, Salvati

Bookings: None

Sent-off: None

Kidderminster:

Scorer: Larkin 81m

Brock, Clarkson (Bird 66m), Hinton, Sall, Joy, Henriksen, Smith, Williams (Shilton 40m), Larkin, Broughton, Foster (Ducros 50m)

Subs, not used: Danby, Ayres

Bookings: Broughton 9m, Clarkson 64m, Smith 86m

Sent-off: None

Attendance: 2,787

Referee: Michael Jones (Chester)

Updated: 10:59 Monday, March 25, 2002