IN-FORM Cambridge United will travel to York City tonight boasting the Blue Square Bet Premier’s joint-meanest defence.

Only table-topping Wrexham can match the U’s record of eight goals conceded in the highest echelon of non-League football this season. They have kept seven clean sheets from their 16 fixtures in the process.

Jez George’s men will also take to the field at Bootham Crescent having lost just one of their last 12 matches – a 1-0 defeat at Southport on October 1.

And, if the Minstermen are to take maximum points tonight, they will also need to succeed where top-five rivals Wrexham, Luton and Gateshead have failed by beating Cambridge at home.

The sixth-placed Abbey Stadium outfit have already won 1-0 at Luton in 2011/12 and shared the spoils in 1-1 draws when Wrexham and Gateshead were their hosts.

But Cambridge, who already have captain Michael Wylde and on-loan signing Ismail Yakubu sidelined, will see their defensive resourses stretched even further at Bootham Crescent with right-back Kevin Roberts having been stretchered off with an achilles injury during Saturday’s 3-0 home win over Alfreton.

Teenage full-back Jonathon Thorpe is expected to deputise, as he did as Roberts’ replacement at the weekend.

Saturday’s two-goal hero Harrison Dunk, meanwhile, is expected to retain his place on the left wing despite on-loan Stevenage flank man Peter Winn’s recovery from injury.

Former City striker Michael Gash will lead the line for the visitors but has managed just three goals in his 14 appearances since signing for Cambridge in the summer.

Teenage midfielder Luke Berry, who plays just behind Gash, is the U’s top scorer with one more goal and has netted in his team’s last three matches.

Cambridge (probable): Naisbitt, Thorpe, Coulson, McAuley, Jennings, Carew, Jarvis, Shaw, Dunk, Berry, Gash.

Match facts

CAMBRIDGE United are unbeaten in their last five league visits to Bootham Crescent.

City’s only Conference win at home to United was in 2005/6 when Clayton Donaldson netted the only goal of the game.

Cambridge won 2-1 on each of their next two trips and this corresponding game has been drawn in the last three seasons – 0-0 in 2008/9, 2-2 in 2009/10 and 0-0 last term.

This was City’s last home game of the season and the line-up on April 25, 2011, was: Ingham, Darville, Meredith, Fyfield, Carruthers, J Smith (Till), Barrett (Mackin), Boucaud, Reed (Rankine), Constantine, Chambers.

Players to have appeared for both clubs include Rowland Horrey, Dennis Walker, Mick Cook, Colin Alcide, Tom Cowan, Mark Convery, Leo Fortune-West, Michael Gash, Courtney Pitt, Mark Beesley and Jon Challinor.

It happened on October 18

1946: City beat New Brighton at home 3-1 with Billy Allen (2) and Matt Patrick on the scoresheet. The attendance for this Division Three North fixture was 8,218.

1958: George Patterson scored both goals in a 2-2 draw at Gillingham and City remained Fourth Division leaders.

1962: A 3-1 win at Newport County in the Fourth Division with Dennis Hoggart, Billy Rudd and an opponent on target.

1971: Paul Aimson netted City’s quickest recorded goal in 9.5 seconds in a 3-1 home victory over Torquay United. Kevin McMahon and Laurie Calloway were the other scorers and City were 15th in Division Three (League One). The crowd was 5,672.

2003: A 1-1 home draw against Boston United in the Third Division (League Two) watched by 3,190. Jon Parkin was the scorer and City were mid-table.

2008: City were tenth in the Conference after a 2-0 home win over Rushden & Diamonds with Mark Robinson and Craig Farrell on target.

Compiled by David Batters