Already there seems to be an alarming air of inevitability hanging over helpless Harriers, reports Mat Kendrick.

The malaise that set in during the opening day setback against St Albans seems no nearer to being broken once and for all and the summer of optimism is in serious danger of becoming a winter of discontent.

Almost without fail, Kidderminster start a game looking quite competitive, concede the first goal to the opposition and then appear clueless as to how to claw their way back into the game.

True to form, or lack of it, that was precisely what happened on Saturday as Kidderminster went into meltdown again at Kit Kat Crescent.

It was always going to be difficult against Billy McEwan's play-off hopefuls, even though York have flattered to deceive at home so far this season.

Harriers' don't lose' mentality is causing more problems than it is solving because as soon as their defence is breached the Aggborough men have no idea how to respond.

That was certainly the case after Clayton Donaldson's deserved opener on Saturday - because a solitary goal was always going to be plenty to kill off shot-shy Kidderminster.

Since Iyseden Christie's Harriers homecoming earlier this months, Kidderminster fans have been longing to see a powerful striker with great close control who knows where the net is.

They got their wish on Saturday. Sadly it was the Minstermen's Donaldson's rather than the Mr Men's Mr Lazy who stole the show with a demonstration of how a traditional targetman should perform.

Christie, meanwhile, existed on the periphery of the game, which explained his ring-rustiness in spurning a gilt-edged injury time chance when Danny Parslow's weak back header put an equaliser on a plate for him.

Donaldson's 43rd minute strike was the fourth time he had rattled the Harriers defence, but unlike the first three occasions, his aim was spot on.

It was all too easily for the dangerous number nine who gathered Lewis McMahon's pass on the left flank and casually swept past Jeff Kenna and Stuart Whitehead before picking his spot with a low drive from just inside the box.

The goal capped a first half in which York ran the show with left winger Martyn Woolford following Cambridge's Courtney Pitt in giving Kenna his second skinning of the week.

Woolford went close with a mazy run and shot which was pounced on by Scott Bevan who also produced a full stretch tip over to keep out Craig Farrell's header.

And while the Kidderminster keeper kept the score down before the break he could have added to it with two moments of madness in the second half.

The giant stopper was relieved to see the ball bounce kindly into his hands on 65 minutes when instead of clearing Steve Bowey's corner, he punched it onto the crossbar.

Bevan was also spared embarrassment 15 minutes later when he sprinted off his line to try to clear the danger and he left an open goal which Donaldson and Bishop contrived to miss.

But the keeper was not alone in suffering another off-day with all but one of his outfield colleagues failing to raise standards that have been at a virtually constant low all season.

Manager Mark Yates might not be getting much right at the moment, but he was correct in his assessment that he could do with "11 Mark Creighton's".

The strapping centre half put in another commanding display at the back and came as close as anyone to adding to Kidderminster's pathetic goals for column of just four when his 12th minute header was saved superbly by Tom Evans.

York (4-3-3): Evans; Craddock, Parslow, McGurk, Lloyd; Bishop, McMahon, Bowey; Farrell (Convery 77), Donaldson, Woolford.

Subs not used: Peat, Dudgeon, Webster, Reid.

Booked: Craddock.

Goals: Donaldson 43.

Harriers (4-1-3-2): Bevan 5; Kenna 5 (Sedgemore 46, 6), Whitehead 6, CREIGHTON 8, Harkness 6; Hurren 6; Penn 5, McClen 5 (Russell 20, 5), McGrath 5 (Blackwood 58, 6); Reynolds 6, Christie 5. Subs not used: White, S Taylor.

Booked: Reynolds, Whitehead, Penn.

Attendance: 2,181.

Referee: A Haines (Yorkshire).

Star man: Creighton.