YORK City's footballers are aiming to avoid making two pieces of history this week.

The lack of a victory during a crucial three matches in seven days against Cheltenham, Yeovil and championship-chasing Doncaster would make Chris Brass' boys likely candidates to become the first City side to be relegated from the Football League.

And failing to collect three points from any of the games would also mean that the City class of 2003/2004, who have not tasted victory in 15 matches, will have endured the club's worst-ever run without a league win.

That dubious honour currently belongs to the 1987 team managed first by Denis Smith and then Bobby Saxton in a 17-game sequence that stretched over two seasons in the old Division Three.

If Brass' side were to break that unwanted record, there would be a cruel irony, having started this season by equalling the club's best-ever start to a campaign with four straight victories.

The current win-less City record was set between May and October 1987 when City did not taste success in five long months, failing to win their last two matches of the 86/87 campaign under Smith before starting the following season by registering four draws and 11 defeats with Saxton at the helm.

It was a beginning the Minstermen never recovered from and ultimately ended in relegation to the Football League's basement division, having finished second bottom.

Saxton's task was not helped as City favourites Keith Walwyn, Gary Ford, Sean Haslegrave and Alan Pearce all left at the end of the 86/87 season and Marco Gabbiadini departed eight games into the new campaign, although all five did feature at some stage during the sorry sequence.

Other surprise names that fans might not have expected to be on the books throughout the club's worst-ever run include Tony Canham, Dale Banton, Derek Hood and Steve Tutill, while striker Ian Helliwell made his City debut in the final game of the 17-game run - a 4-2 defeat at Sunderland's Roker Park that also marked Gordon Stainforth's return to York.

City ended their long wait on October 31 when Banton's single goal beat Chesterfield at Bootham Crescent.

Their last taste of success had been a 2-1 home success against Bolton with Martin Butler and Canham on target.

Banton's goals were one of the few positive aspects of City's sorry 1987 form. He netted seven times during the 17 win-less games, which is as many as City's whole team has managed during the current 15-match win drought.

Brass' defence fares better than its counterparts, however. The current team has shipped 30 goals in 15 matches while Smith and Saxton's back fours conceded 38 in 17.

May 4 Wigan Athletic (A) 2-3 (Walwyn 2)

May 9 Notts County (H) 1-1 (Butler)

Aug 15 Brighton (A) 0-1

Aug 22 Notts County (H) 3-5 (Whitehead, Canham, Banton)

Aug 29 Chester City (A) 0-1

Aug 31 Walsall (H) 1-3 (Banton)

Sept 5 Port Vale (A) 1-2 (Canham)

Sept 12 Preston North End (H) 1-1 (Hood pen)

Sept 16 Bristol Rovers (A) 1-2 (Banton)

Sept 19 Gillingham (A) 1-3 (M Gabbiadini)

Sept 26 Doncaster Rovers (H) 1-1 (Cook pen)

Sept 29 Blackpool (H) 1-3 (Buchanan)

Oct 3 Wigan Athletic (A) 1-1 (Banton pen)

Oct 10 Fulham (A) 1-3 (Buchanan)

Oct 17 Aldershot (H) 2-2 (Banton 2)

Oct 20 Rotherham United (H) 1-2 (Hood pen)

Oct 24 Sunderland (A) 2-4 (Banton, Mills)

Updated: 11:31 Saturday, April 17, 2004