THE miserable memory of hitting rock bottom has given York City ace Lee Nogan every incentive for piling the pressure on bottom club Exeter City tomorrow.

It was in last season's corresponding fixture at Bootham Crescent that the former Welsh international made his City debut, a day he admits he would love to forget.

Nogan had a goal disallowed as City lost 3-0 and plunged to the foot of the Football League amid supporters' protests and demonstrations.

Now the boot is firmly on the other foot. Buoyant City, unbeaten in three, have risen to 11th spot while Exeter, currently without a manager, have won just once all season and are at rock bottom.

"I remember the game all too well," admitted Nogan, who is likely to be one of just three City players who started last season's encounter starting again tomorrow.

"There was a lot of pressure on us at the time.

"It was my first game too and you always want to make a good start.

"At least we went on and did well after it, but I think we probably owe them something."

Having taken a valuable three point haul away from home at Lincoln last Saturday, Nogan admitted the Minstermen were anxious not to see all that good work undone by Exeter.

Not that the former Grimsby and Reading ace, who has grabbed nine goals in 26 City appearances since last February's clash with the Grecians, is expecting tomorrow's visitors to be a soft touch.

"A few teams, like Halifax and Plymouth, have come to Bootham Crescent this year, got a lot of people behind the ball and defended and we might have to be patient again," he said.

"People will be expecting us to roll Exeter over but it won't be like that. It'll be a tough game and if we win it 1-0 in the last ten minutes then everyone will be happy."

Nogan admitted City's transformation since going bottom of Division Three in February had given everyone cause for satisfaction.

But he argues not one factor lay behind the Minstermen's upturn in fortunes.

"A lot of players have gone who were here when I first came in.

"Confidence was also low then but our last three results have certainly given us confidence and if you have got that in the side it obviously helps.

"It means when we have had blips in between good performances and we haven't played well they've been one-offs. We haven't had two games in a row when we have been poor."

The change in style, brought about by City's healthy start to the season, had undoubtedly made a difference too, claimed Nogan.

"Last year, we were getting a lot of people behind the ball and making sure we didn't concede early and hopefully get a breakaway goal.

"That was because of the situation we were in but we can go into games a bit different now."

Updated: 09:04 Friday, October 05, 2001