No quarter given

It's probably not a bad time to give 'an end of term report' on what's gone so far.

It's reckoned that ten games normally provides enough data to assess a team's chances, but City fans are probably still none the wiser.

A dream start of four wins and dazzling football had City looking promotion candidates.

Three successive defeats saw reality bite before City looked to be getting their season steadily back on track.

The football was not as free-flowing, but City had found some consistency and steel.

Or so it seemed.

The performance at Bury was not so much a step backwards as a giant leap in reverse, putting the proverbial cat back among the pigeons in terms of assessing City's genuine standing in Division Three.

In many ways, the team's magnificent start to the season has become something of a curse.

At the beginning of August, most supporters would have been delighted with a place in the top ten after 11 games.

With the youngest manager in the Football League and an untried and tested squad, the pundits were fighting over themselves to measure-up the Minstermen for their relegation coffins.

With fans fearing the worst, the continuous run of victories tasted even sweeter and fanned the flames of expectations to levels which ensured Tuesday's performance at Gigg Lane left deeper scars than it might otherwise have done.

The next few games should help determine what was genuine and what was fake; the glittering start to the season or the Yeovil, Lincoln and Bury horror shows.

The truth, perhaps inevitably, lies somewhere in between those polar opposites.

City have played at times the sort of attractive football that suggests they are a good, skilful side who have nothing to fear if they play to their ability.

However, they have yet to ally that flair with the concentration and consistency needed to set them apart as leading contenders.

Just two draws from 12 league and cup games confirms as much - City tend to blow hot or cold with no in-between.

Of course, it is a very young squad with a young manager and experience will come.

In the meantime, City fans should strap themselves in and prepare for a season that will continue to scale the peaks and plumb the depths.

Where City end up cannot be guaranteed but one thing is certain, it should make for an exciting ride.

FORMER City boss Neil Thompson was given the dreaded vote of confidence by Boston chairman Des Wood this week.

The York Street outfit have won just twice in 11 League games this season and are third from bottom in Division Three, but Wood is not going to rush into a managerial change.

Wood said: "I'm confident Neil will turn things around for us, just like he did last season. He is there to do a job and there is no pressure on him from myself or the board at the moment."

Thompson took charge of the Pilgrims a year ago.

If he were to get the push, Terry Dolan's name is bound to be linked to the vacant post realising the prospect of a footballing rarity if not a first - a manager being sacked and replaced by the same man who replaced him after his sacking in a previous posting.

PROOF, were it ever needed, that the numbers game in football is a thing of a past came with the addition of Dean Crowe to the City squad.

Given the advent of squad numbers, it would be interesting to know if any team has managed to field a team bearing the shirts from one to 11 this season.

I doubt it, and as if to emphasise the point that numbers on shirts count for very little theses days Crowe, a striker, has been given the number three shirt vacated by the now departed Scott Jones.

For some reason, it just doesn't look right to have a striker leading the line wearing the number of a full-back.

Perhaps it's a cunning ploy to confuse the opposition.

But what next, a goalkeeper wearing number ten and a striker wearing number one? Probably.

CITY defender Dave Merris will be guest of honour at the next meeting of the Harrogate Minstermen, an official branch of the City Supporters' Club, which will be held on Monday at the Knaresborough Working Men's Club, kick-off 8pm. Members and non-members are welcome.

A recent charity football match between the Harrogate Minstermen and City supporters the York Nomads has raised £200 on behalf of the Harrogate District Hospital MRI Scanner Appeal and the York City Supporters' Trust.

MITCH Ward was a sheepish recipient of the man of the match accolade when City beat Bristol Rovers 2-1 last month.

Ward didn't have a bad game but hardly pulled up any trees and was perhaps as surprised as anyone to hear his name called out over the tannoy before the final whistle.

All became clear when he went up into the hospitality suite to collect his bottle of bubbly from the game's sponsors, a select band of Minstermen fans who dubbed themselves the City Regulars FC on account of their 360 years combined following York.

Apparently, Ward was informed the only reason he'd been selected was because some members of the group fancied rubbing shoulders with an ex-star of the Premiership.

Let's hope the news didn't turn Ward's champagne flat although I understand he found the group's honesty highly amusing.

SO what's rocking Bootham Crescent?

Apparently, Mark Ovendale is a big fan of nu-metal titans of misery Slipknot while player-chief Chris Brass is quite partial to the 'RnB' vibes of Ja Rule and Sean Paul.

Quite a contrast in tastes, I'm sure you'll agree.

But it's not unknown for the dulcet tones of Frank Sinatra to be heard on the team's ghetto blaster in the changing rooms prior to kick-off.

Given the tumultuous last six months or so I don't suppose 'New York, New York' would be a bad choice for a new Bootham Crescent anthem.

THE Yorkie Bars are still searching for their first win of the season after letting slip a 3-0 half-time lead and losing 6-5 at Macclesfield.

The Bars, made up of City supporters brought together by the Internet, appeared to be coasting to victory at the break after goals from Michael Stockdale, Nick Richardson and an own goal.

However, Macclesfield rallied superbly to draw level and levelled for a second time after Alex Beddingham had fired the Bars back in front.

A further two goals from the Silkmen supporters ensured victory for the home side, despite the Bars having the last word by claiming a late fifth goal.

DARREN Dunning has moved clear at the top of the Evening Press player of the year rankings.

A four point haul this week followed a man of the match display and three points at Macclesfied and a one point acquisition in the disappointing team performance at Bury.

It was enough to move the former Blackburn ace into pole position, three points clear of second-placed Lee Bullock.

It was Leigh Wood who had the most successful week though, accruing five points in total.

His two point haul at Moss Rose was followed by a man of the match performance against Bury.

Mark Ovendale kept on the coat-tails of the early front-runners thanks to his two points against the Shakers.

The remaining point this week, from the Macclesfield game, went to Liam George, his first of the campaign.

Rankings: Dunning 16, Bullock 13, Ward 10, Ovendale 7, Wood 7, Hope 4, Brass 3, Nogan 3, Wise 3, Brass 2, Fox 1, George 1, Merris 1, Wilford 1

Updated: 18:25 Friday, October 03, 2003