CITY were bidding to end a two-year wait since their last double this afternoon.

Having passed up the opportunity of winning both their 2005/2006 meetings with Southport on Tuesday night, McEwan's men were hoping to bring an end to a sorry statistic against Woking, who were seen off 2-1 at KitKat Crescent back in August.

Carlisle United were the last side to have maximum points taken off them in one season by City and both sides finished the 2003/2004 campaign relegated from the Football League.

The Minstermen's maiden season in the Conference saw none of their new opponents beaten twice and, now, McEwan's young team are aiming to avoid becoming only the third side in the club's history to suffer back-to-back campaigns without a double.

City's 1986/87 and 87/88 teams, managed by Denis Smith and Bobby Saxton respectively, first achieved the unwanted record.

Smith's side narrowly escaped relegation from the old third division but Saxton's outfit could not beat the drop after finishing 23rd in the following campaign.

John Bird and John Ward then presided over the two seasons when the feat was repeated in 1990/91 and 91/92.

Proud Scotsman McEwan will be determined not to join that list and, should City have failed this afternoon in their bid to end a run that dates back to January 10, 2004, there will be six more opportunities for a double to be completed before the end of the season with the home games against Tamworth and Forest Green and trips to Exeter, Altrincham, Canvey Island and Cambridge United.

Should City win all those games, as well as this afternoon's Surrey encounter, then they would still fall four short of the club record, which was unsurprisingly set during the 1983/84 Division Four title-winning season.

City's 11 double victims, during the halcyon season in which they amassed 101 points, were Stockport, Rochdale, Peterborough, Colchester, Northampton, Crewe, Hartlepool, Aldershot, Halifax, Bury and Mansfield.

The club's next best tally of seven came in 1964/65 when a third-place finish clinched promotion from the old Division Four.

City have also recorded six doubles in a season four times.

The Happy Wanderers, who created club history by reaching the 1955 FA Cup semi finals, also proved they were no pushovers in the league becoming the first City side to enjoy six doubles.

Tom Johnston's 1970/71 Division Four promotion winners matched that achievement, as did the less-heralded 78/79 side under Charlie Wright. The Minstermen's old Division Two play-off semi-finalists, managed by Alan Little, became the fourth team to beat six opponents in a season in 1993/94.

YORK Minstermen will hold a General Knowledge Quiz in the KitKat Crescent Social Club on Thursday.

The bar will be open at 7pm with the quiz beginning at 8.30pm.

STATS ATTACK

Goals: Bishop 14, Donaldson 10, Convery 5, O'Neill 5, Dudgeon 4, Stewart 2, McGurk 1, own goal 1.

Goal assists: Donaldson 10, Bishop 8, Convery 8, Dunning 6, O'Neill 2, Panther 2, Andrews 1, Mansaram 1, McGurk 1, Merris 1, Peat 1, Stewart 1.

Bad boys: Bishop five yellows; Hotte one red, three yellows; Donaldson, Dudgeon, Dunning all four yellows; Convery, Price both three yellows; Horwood, Panther both two yellows; Andrews, Barwick, Craddock, Mansaram, McGurk, Merris, O'Neill, Palmer, Panther, Peat all one yellow.

Updated: 09:44 Saturday, January 28, 2006