From the depths of despair to the comfort zone of mid-table, Lee Bullock admits a whirlwind of change has swept through the corridors of Bootham Crescent.

Little more than two months ago City slumped to the bottom of the Football League after a 3-0 home hammering by Exeter City.

peaking in the aftermath of the Grecians' victory, a distraught Bullock admitted relegation would be "a disgrace, a disaster".

"We're bottom now but we've got to make sure we're not there come May," he said.

True to his word, in 12 games since those darkest of hours the Minstermen and Bullock have lost just once.

And to emphasise the dramatic turn around in fortunes and performances, if City beat Cardiff and Barnet fail to pick up three points at home to Rochdale tomorrow the horror of relegation could be banished once and for all.

Bullock admits it's not just form and fortune that has brought about City's climb clear from relegation but a change in attitude as well.

"You look forward to playing on a Saturday now whereas we were going into games wondering and worrying about what might happen," he said.

"Now there is a lot of belief about and the whole team is a lot more confident and we expect to win.

"And if we don't win at least we know we can go into games and grind out results, like we did at Hull and at quite a few high flying clubs now."

While safety first remains the obvious priority, Bullock admits he can't help but look ahead to next season.

"If we get a result tomorrow and Barnet don't get three points that makes us safe but the way we are playing we shouldn't really have any problems.

"We can pick points up of everyone between now and the end of the season.

"In games against the top sides, like Brighton, Cheltenham, Leyton Orient and Hull, they have done nothing to show they are better than us.

"In fact it's very disappointing to think what might have been if we hadn't had that bad run after Christmas.

"But we have proved we have been good enough to be up there with them so it is a matter of taking it into next season."

* Tomorrow's game will be preceded by a one-minute's silence in memory of referee Mike North, who collapsed and died during Monday's game between Southend and Mansfield. The Football League have asked all clubs to observe a minute's silence at this weekend's games.

Updated: 09:36 Friday, April 20, 2001