LIGHTNING supposedly never strikes twice, though until Saturday's 2-0 defeat it looked as though it could.

The Football League's very own equivalent of Harry Houdini, Carlisle United, had looked as though they might escape the drop while consigning another North Yorkshire team to the Conference and were there still the one relegation place then lightning would have struck twice.

However, following 2-0 defeats for Carlisle and York City on Saturday it looks as if both have now booked their Conference places.

Given their respective post-Christmas form, Carlisle look the more likely to bounce

back and York to wallow Scarborough-like in the Conference.

The future for football in York is looking likely to be as fraught as that enjoyed by rugby league post-Wigginton Road.

Richard Lamb

Greystoke Road,

York

Updated: 11:38 Tuesday, April 20, 2004