Stevenage 1, York City 1

But, for York City, that will perhaps be more literally and jusifiably applicable to their 2005/06 campaign than it will be when the fortunes of many other clubs are mulled over as another season draws to a close.

Saturday's 1-1 away draw against an indisciplined Stevenage team, who finished the game reduced to nine men and with their manager watching from the stands, meant the Minstermen have taken just three points from a possible 33 against top-six sides this season.

City have failed in 11 attempts to beat any of the other sides currently above them in the Conference table with second-placed Hereford due to visit KitKat Crescent on the final day of the season next weekend.

However, Billy McEwan's men have consistently taken points off the division's other teams, only losing four matches against clubs occupying positions below them.

Burton Albion, Cambridge United, Aldershot and Woking form that quartet and none of the Conference's bottom nine teams have managed to defeat the Minstermen this season, which bodes well for next season's prospects.

City's contrasting fortunes against teams from opposite ends of the table give a firm indication that the side have fulfilled their potential and scarcely let their standards slip.

The Minstermen have never been guilty of raising their performances only to beat top sides or of taking lesser teams lightly, which speaks volumes for the players' honest professionalism and, having started the season with no promotion pretensions, McEwan's men should be commended for maintaining the mathematical chance of a play-off place going into Saturday's penultimate match of the campaign.

But Stevenage, like Accrington, Hereford, Grays, Halifax and Morecambe before them, proved a psychological and physical hurdle too far for City's evolving side.

The Minstermen have swept aside many teams this season with their attacking football, spearheaded by prolific strikers Andy Bishop and Clayton Donaldson, but have found it harder to break down the defences of the division's top-six sides.

Stevenage limited their visitors to just two on-target efforts at goalkeeper Alan Julian after striker Darryn Stamp's 37th-minute dismissal and one of those attempts came while the home side played out the last seven minutes of added time with nine men.

Stamp was ordered off for a second bookable offence for querying the validity of Donaldson's opening goal and, in the 90th minute, complaining captain Jason Goodliffe also received his marching orders from a referee who did not abide dissent.

As against Halifax in their previous outing, City struggled to create chances despite employing a three-pronged strikeforce with prolific pair Bishop and Donaldson flanking central man Joe O'Neill.

Stevenage, meanwhile, possess two dangerous out-and-out wingers in Jon Nurse and George Boyd and the former forced Chris Porter into a decent save on 22 minutes.

But City forged ahead when James Dudgeon headed Nathan Peat's right-wing free-kick and Donaldson displayed great anticipation to ingeniously flick the ball past Julian from close-range.

Stamp led the home team's offside protests, remonstrating with the referee's assistant inadvisedly, as he was the only Stevenage player who had been previously booked, and his manager Graham Westley was also dismissed seconds later.

But the Hertfordshire side drew inspiration from the decision with Dino Maamria forcing a long-range save out of Porter and then providing the 42nd-minute corner that City failed to clear, leaving Goodliffe to rifle into the roof of the net from 15 yards.

Stevenage started the second half in determined fashion with Goodliffe, Nurse and Maamria all going close.

The Minstermen, struggling to make their extra man count, did not threaten until midway through the second period with Andy Bishop forcing a save from Julian.

Donaldson then appeared to be denied a blatant penalty when, having stumbled over a fair challenge from Ronnie Henry, his legs were swiped from underneath him following a reckless challenge by Goodliffe but Essex official John Hopkins decided, this time, not to incense the home crowd further.

Stevenage, desperate for maximum points, squandered an excellent chance when Jefferson Louis headed over before a frustrated Goodliffe saw red when he used foul and abusive language to accuse an injured Jamie Price and physio Jeff Miller of time-wasting.

Julian then produced injury-time heroics to thwart Andy Bishop, keeping out his well-struck effort after substitute Mark Convery had found the Conference's leading scorer unmarked six yards from goal.

It is a save that could yet prove vital in Stevenage's play-off quest but, with Morecambe beating Gravesend, proved irrelevant to the Minstermen's faint top-five hopes.

Stevenage 1 (Goodliffe 43), York City 1 (Donaldson 37)

Porter 7, Price 7, Dudgeon 7, McGurk 7, Peat 6, Panther 7, Thomas 7 (Convery 65, 7), N Bishop 7, O'Neill 6 (Webster 81), A Bishop 6, Donaldson 8

Key: 10 - Faultless; 9 - Outstanding; 8 - Excellent; 7 - Good; 6 - Average; 5 - Below par; 4 - Poor; 3 - Dud; 2 - Hopeless; 1 - Retire

Subs (not used): Reid, Hotte, Merris

Star man: Donaldson - menaced Stevenage defence with elusive skills

Stevenage: Alan Julian, Jason Goodliffe, Luke Oliver, Ronnie Henry, Jon Nurse (Ollie Berquez, 84), Dannie Bulman (Michael Warner, 90), Adam Miller, Dino Maamria, George Boyd, Jefferson Louis (Justin Gregory, 78), Darryn Stamp. Subs not used: Shane Gore, Simon Weatherstone.

Yellow cards: McGurk 8, Stamp 23, Donaldson 73, Dudgeon 77.

Red cards: Stamp 37, Goodliffe 90.

Referee: John Hopkins (Essex) rating: can't be accused of favouring the home team but may have denied City a blatant penalty to avoid being lynched.

Attendance: 2,701.

Weather watch: Short-sleeved.

Game breaker: Darryn Stamp's red card just after City's opening goal appeared to galvanise rather than demoralise the home team.

Match rating: City just came up just short again when faced by a top-six side who still created more chances with ten men.

McEwan's verdict: "I thought we deserved the lead but we found it a struggle to get past ten men because they had to go for it."

Player watch: Joe O'Neill

Shots on target: 0

Shots off target: 1

Blocked shots: 0

Passes to own player: 5

Passes to opposition: 3

Crosses to own player: 1

Crosses to opposition: 2

Pass success rate: 54.6 per cent

Dribbles ball retained: 0

Dribbles ball lost: 2

Dribble success rate: 0 per cent

Headers: 7 Tackles: 3

Clearances, blocks and interceptions: 1

Fouls won: 2 Fouls conceded: 3

Offsides: 1

Yellow cards: 0

Final summary: worked hard but struggled to make an impact as City's central forward in a three-pronged attack and was withdrawn after 81 minutes. Lifted his best chance wastefully over the bar and strayed offside when presented with an earlier opening after a save from Andy Bishop.

Updated: 10:46 Monday, April 24, 2006