York City player-boss Chris Brass is hoping the club's remaining home matches will hold the key to his side's bid for Division Three safety.

Five of the Minstermen's last eight games will take place at Bootham Crescent and Brass is hoping that his players can recover the home form that saw them lose just twice in their first 13 league games.

Since then, Brass' men have failed to win any of their last five matches in York but halted a run of four straight home defeats with a 0-0 draw against promotion-chasing Torquay in their last home outing.

Brass said: "We need to use the fact that we have got five home games left to our advantage.

"At the start of the season, we were very difficult to beat at Bootham Crescent and we need to make sure we are like that again.

"The fans at Bristol gave them a boost and, even though we held them for the first 15 minutes, they kept going and I feel our fans will do exactly the same in the remaining games."

City will also be dreading a home double that could suck them to within one point of the basement trap-door tonight.

After 12 games without a win the Minstermen have slid to fourth from bottom of the Division Three table. But their plight could worsen significantly should both Rochdale and Macclesfield - the two teams immediately below City - prevail in home outings tonight.

Rochdale entertain leaders Doncaster Rovers and a draw at Spotland would be enough for the Lancashire outfit to go above the Minstermen on goal difference.

Macclesfield meanwhile play host to promotion play-off contenders Lincoln City.

If the Silkmen can upset the form-book and topple the Imps at Moss Rose, then they would be just a point adrift of City.

That would heap even sharper emphasis on Macclesfield's trip to Bootham Crescent in City's next outing on Sunday as the relegation battle intensifies. See the graphic below for details of the relegation run-in.

Brass, who will be in tonight's crowd at Macclesfield, said: "You do not want to be looking at other results - you just want to be concentrating on your own but I'm obviously hoping that tonight's games work out in our favour.

"I'm going to Macclesfield because we need to get them watched even though we are fully aware of what to expect and know what the game is all about on Sunday."

Teenage striker Adam Arthur bagged a brace for City's reserves in yesterday's 3-1 victory over Grimsby.

Lev Yalcin was also on the scoresheet and City's side included player-boss Brass, playing his first game after a four-match ban, and loan signing Jon Newby.

Brass said: "It was nice to get a run-out and nice to be involved in a win as well. Myself and Jon both got good run-outs and Adam Arthur is starting to come of age.

"He's done well and has got a chance if he keeps progressing at this rate of knots."

Meanwhile, York City's juniors will play their Macclesfield counterparts at the Silkmen's Moss Rose base next Saturday and not as first published in yesterday's Evening Press.

The City travellers will be seeking both to avenge their FA Youth Cup defeat to the Macc lads earlier in the season and provide a winning marker ahead of the Sunday senior clash between the two sides at Bootham Crescent just over 24 hours later.

City's postponed Division Three home clash with play-off contenders Yeovil Town has been re-arranged for Tuesday, April 20.

The match, called off this month because of a freak rain storm, will be sandwiched between a Bootham Crescent meeting with Cheltenham Town and a trip to table-topping neighbours Doncaster Rovers.

Updated: 10:49 Tuesday, March 30, 2004