Jubilant York City manager Alan Little ventures the only way is up for his resurrected ranks.

Barry Jones, partially obscured, scores the winner for York City as he gets his head to the ball first despite the attentions of the Wycombe defence. City's other goalscorer, Richard Cresswell, looks on

The Minstermen took their unbeaten run into the New Year, stretched now to four games to afford the City boss the chance to bask in a fresh glow of optimism.

The 2-1 victory over Wycombe was significant in not only smashing a hoodoo at a ground where City had never won before, but in hoisting confidence so much that City's gaze is now up, not down.

And it was precisely that point which Little made to his charges in the dressing-room an hour before kick-off to Saturday's game at Adams Park.

Revealed the City boss: "I said to them all 'what do you want to do? What's your objectives for this season?'

"I told them that I expected them to win at Wycombe and that would then point us in the direction we want to go.

"With this win, instead of looking at the bottom of the table we can now look upwards. It's the first time in a lot of games where we can truly say we are looking up."

While agreeing it was more a solid than spectacular win, Little's faith had been re-affirmed by the response of the City players to his 'gone-upmanship' plea.

And that had served to strengthen his conviction that City were capable of beating any team in the Second Division.

"We were great value for this win at Wycombe. We deserved it and really should have won far more comfortably. We have stifled them and we were never in any trouble," he enthused.

Though chances were wasted Little said the difference between the two sides lay up front, hailing the movement and pace of Richard Cresswell and Rodney Rowe as crucial.

"We were strong right down the middle of the team. Tony Barras was back to his best after coming through a lean spell, while Barry Jones was solid at the heart of defence.

"In midfield Jordan and Tinkler ran the show, and in attack our front two had a cutting edge about them which Wycombe could not really handle. That was the crucial area."

Little is keeping his counsel as to how he might approach tomorrow's Auto Windscreens Shield tie at Halifax Town, his attention more focused on Saturday's visit of title-chasing Preston.

"We've got a run together but we cannot afford to rest on our laurels. We daren't and it's my job to make sure we don't let it slide," he declared.

"Preston are at our place on Saturday and that is going to be a great game. We can beat them I am sure. In fact I think we can beat anybody provided we have the confidence."

Preston tailor made for hot-shot Jones

Bring on Preston was the proud wish of captain and new 'goal-a-game' ace Barry Jones.

The City leader marked his and the club's entry into 1999 with what proved to be the winner at Wycombe - his second successive strike.

Both he and Saturday's other marksman Richard Cresswell were on target in the Bank Holiday win at Oldham just five days earlier.

But the City captain was even more elated about a victory that yielded City their tenth point out of the last 12, insisting it would put the Minstermen in fine fettle for a revenge mission against their next League opposition, Preston.

The Lancashire side kicked off their campaign just over four months ago with a first-day 3-0 win over City, a reverse that still rankles at Bootham Crescent. Preston's return this Saturday is eagerly awaited.

Said Jones: "That's going to be a difficult game. Their win over us helped them to get off to a flier and we faltered a little bit.

"But there's confidence in the side now and when that's there you feel you can't do anything wrong.

"Hopefully we can get one back against Preston when they come to our place."

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