KIDDERMINSTER crawled past Crawley with a win which was more a making your mind up exercise for the manager than a match of any consequence for the current campaign.

Until Mark Yates decides which of his present players are for keeps it's difficult to get too excited about their improved form.

Of the 13 first-teamers and substitutes he used on Tuesday night only Jake Sedgemore is guaranteed to be a Harrier when they kick off their second successive season in the Conference in August.

Because, make no mistake, that is precisely where the club will be with the play-offs now a distant dream and relegation all but banished.

The players have only their football futures to play for. And who will be kept on by Kidderminster remains the million dollar - or 500 quid-a-week - question down at Hoo Road.

The worrying thing on Tuesday was that the most impressive performers were loanees and bit-part players.

Gavin Hurren was making only his second start of the season after returning from a loan spell at Bromsgrove. But the former Forest youngster has surely given Yates food for thought with another assured display deputising for crocked captain Daryl Burgess.

Hurren is unhurried at the heart of defence - a rare quality at this level - and it was his refreshing desire to play patiently from the back which led to the winning goal.

Rather than hoofing it long, Hurren got the ball rolling by threading a precise pass into Simon Russell who linked up with Lee Thompson before sending a 25-yard screamer scorching into the top corner on 24 minutes.

Russell and Thompson who are a frustrating pair who fall into the 'should they stay, or should they go?' category when it comes to the boss's plans for next term.

Too often they have flattered to deceive and been written off only to demonstrate their ability to destroy defences like they did in despaches on Tuesday evening.

If their terrier-like talents could be permanently harnessed alongside the hard work and stature of a targetman like Andy White, then maybe, just maybe, Harriers would have the secret to a successful strikeforce.

It's all ifs and maybes, however, because like Johnny Mullins and Junior Osborne, White is only here temporarily. And therein lies one of Harriers' biggest dilemmas.

Short term signings are the staple diet of clubs like Kidderminster, offering a cheap get out clause if they fail to do exactly what they say on the tin.

But it is difficult for fans to feel a connection with fly-by-night footballers and Harriers really need a squad of contracted players they can warm to and call their own.

Yates cannot start to build his team around players who might not be here next week let alone next season.

It was no surprise that with little to play for and a lack of Harriers heroes to get behind, Tuesday's crowd was the lowest league gate of the season at Aggborough.

Even so it was a shame that only 1,302 fans were willing to swap their warm homes and European football on TV to cheer on their local team.

Russell's rasper was worth the entrance fee alone while Harriers had countless chances to kill of Crawley before the Sussex side staged a brief but fruitless revival.

Jonny Harkness forced Phil Smith to save his fierce free kick at full stretch after testing the Crawley keeper with two earlier set piece strikes, while White had a goal ruled out for bundling the ball and his marker over the line with his arm.

Earlier Thompson seemed to have been held back by Sacha Opinel but the ref indicated he hadn't a hope-in-hell of getting a penalty.

Mullins had headed chances at both ends, failing to make proper contact with a teasing Harkness corner before inadvertently nodding the ball towards his own goal and forcing John Danby tio tip over acrobatically.

But even though the impressive Tony Scully led Crawley's search for an equaliser, Harriers were worthy winners.