The man whose great escape 'netted' a cheeky goal against the mighty Arsenal landing national television exposure, will seek more gains at Bootham Crescent.

Kurt Nogan leads the Preston North End attack tomorrow just days after his two-goal feat hinted at the first giant-slaying act of the FA Cup this season.

His first strike was opportunist in the extreme, the second graced by audacious stealth. At a corner Nogan slipped the formidable Gunners' rearguard by ducking into the net and then out again before applying an unmarked header to put the hosts 2-0 up and on the crest of an upset of epic proportions.

But Nogan's run ultimately proved to no avail. Double-winners Arsenal recovered poise and power to grind down passion-filled Preston and triumph 4-2 over the Lancashire club.

Now that the dust of knockout battle has cleared Nogan and Co. set about the task of keeping alive Preston's Division Two promotion push by completing a double over the Minstermen.

Day one of the current campaign and City's visit to Deepdale ended in a jarring 3-0 defeat.

The final marksman in that win for the hosts was the 28-year-old Nogan since when he has been the lone constant in the Preston strikeforce.

While manager David Moyes has tinkered with every permutation possible the former Welsh under-21 international has started every game bar two in which he was on the substitutes' bench.

It's been the paradox of Preston's revival that while they are presently the Second Division's top scorers their attack has laboured.

Only Nogan has been a success, his brace against Arsenal taking his tally to 11. None of his front-line partners - and there have been three different players haring the burden already this term - have matched that tally. The nearest is Jason Harris, a £25,000 capture from Leyton Orient, who has six goals.

The second full season in the famous white shirt was always going to be a big one for the Cardiff-born striker.

He arrived at Preston from nearby Burnley in the spring of 1997 costing a sizeable £150,000. Preston's then manager Gary Peters had been persuaded by 33 goals in 92 League outings for the Clarets.

But seven games for Preston yielded nothing and last season he continued to be dogged by ill-form and injury, his contribution being just five goals in 22 starts. This term however Nogan has returned leaner and meaner in front of goal.

His workrate has been highly impressive and he has added consistency to his scoring knack which first came to notice in two seasons at Brighton after brief spells at Luton and Peterborough.

Now his confidence should be even higher as one of only a handful of players this season to have punctured the legendary Arsenal rearguard not once, but twice, even if he had to take a jigging in the rigging route.

MATCH POINTS

York City v Preston North End

Nationwide League division two (at Bootham Crescent, tomorrow 3pm)

The Lancashire club have made five previous league visits and honours are even - two wins to each side with one draw.

North End won on their first two trips 2-0 in 1976/7 and 1-0 in 1984/5 and the encounter in 1987/8 ended 1-1.

In February 1997 City recorded their first home win over Preston. In the 3-1 success Rodney Rowe scored on his home debut together with Nigel Pepper in his last match in City colours. The other marksman was Gary Bull.

Mark Tinkler netted the only goal of the game in the corresponding fixture last term.

Players to have represented both clubs over the years include goalkeepers Norman Wharton and Roy Tunks, Sean Haslegrave, Jim Branagan, Steve Senior and Gary Swann.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.