Harriers' poor start to the season continued after another weak capitulation against a York team who themselves were disappointing but had enough in the locker to ease past their visitors.

Mark Yates kept faith with the starting eleven that had worked hard to earn a point at Cambridge in midweek but that level of endeavour was nowhere to be seen at Bootham Crescent.  There was little incident in a dour first half; Harriers came closest to breaking the deadlock after 12 minutes when Mark Creighton got forward to meet a free-kick from the left with a header that Tom Evans saved.  At the other end Craig Farrell went close with a free header at the far post after Martyn Woolford had got free on the left.  Terrible Harriers defending gifted the lead to The Minstermen; Clayton Donaldson was allowed to run at the defence and skipped past both Jeff Kenna and Stuart Whitehead before slotting his shot in off the foot of the post.

Things did not improve for Harriers after the break; their best attacker was Creighton who went close midway through the second half, lashing the ball over the bar after Jonny Harkness' left wing free-kick fell to him on the edge of the penalty area.  Scott Bevan was called into action by Farrell twenty minutes from the end, getting down to save the striker's angled shot after Evans' long punt had deceived the Harriers defence.

Late on Bevan almost cost Harriers another goal, racing out to clear he missed the ball completely and Donaldson was able to run around him to the byline and pull the ball back to Woolford who saw his shot blocked and then Neal Bishop fired the rebound wide.  Mark convery created a chance at the death, his run and cross on the right found Donaldson whose shot was weak and straight at Bevan.  Deep in stoppage time City almost gifted Harriers an undeserved equaliser, Danny Parslow's back-header was short and nearly dropped for Iyseden Christie but he was unable to reach it and City got the ball away from danger.