MIDWEEK hat-trick heroes Joe O'Neill and John Martin will, once more, be hoping to fire their respective sides to victory when York City travel to Grays Athletic tomorrow.

Midfielder Martin was Grays' treble hero in a 6-1 victory over Gravesend and Northfleet on Tuesday night, while O'Neill matched his haul in the Minstermen's 4-1 triumph at Southport.

The performances mean that O'Neill and Martin are the unlikely joint leaders of the Conference's top marksman table after just two matches.

Their efforts have also helped propel the two clubs into fourth and fifth places in the league table, meaning the winners of tomorrow's Recreation Ground clash will be certain to be among the division's early pace-setters.

Grays boss Mark Stimson, who used to play as a midfielder for Tottenham, Newcastle, Portsmouth, Southend and Leyton Orient, is expected to field an unchanged side for the Minstermen's visit.

Other than injured former Aldershot striker Aaron McLean, Stimson has a fully fit squad to choose from and can boast England National Game XI skipper Stuart Thurgood in midfield.

Grays won the Conference South by a massive 23 points last season and also lifted the FA Trophy at Villa Park.

The Essex club are being bankrolled by railway entrepreneur Mick Woodward and are rumoured to boast a £20,000-weekly wage bill, which doubles that currently in place at KitKat Crescent.

As a result, most bookmakers have installed Grays as third favourites to finish another season as champions and, although last season's strikeforce of Freddie Eastwood and Mitchell Cole might have departed to Southend United, experienced former Lincoln City front man Tony Battersby has been recruited from Gravesend.

Updated: 11:43 Friday, August 19, 2005