YORK City's new striker Paul Brayson is determined to make amends for playing his part in the club's relegation from the Football League in 2004.

Brayson, 29, scored for a Cheltenham Town team, managed by John Ward, that won 2-0 at Bootham Crescent during the last month of a season which ended with the Minstermen plunging into the Conference.

The result was pivotal to City's plight at the time and Brayson's goal also turned out to be his last as a Football League player.

He was released by Cheltenham at the end of the season and, after an unsuccessful trial with the Minstermen, moved on to part-timers Northwich where he has spent the past three years.

But the former Newcastle United forward, who once commanded a £100,000 fee from Reading, is hoping to hitch a lift back into the Football League with City after running a taxi service for the last three years.

Brayson, still based in Newcastle, said: "I wanted to get back into the full-time game so I have rented my cab out and I definitely want to get back into the Football League 100 per cent. Nothing would be better.

"I've just had a little boy and I've been used to living away to play league football so it would be great to play there with York and still live at home. To get my next league goal for York, having scored my last against them, would also give me great pleasure."

Brayson is hoping to make up for lost time as well after his fruitless spell with City three years ago.

The 5ft 4in forward arrived on trial at a time when then manager Chris Brass had little room to manoeuvre in his wage budget having already recruited attackers Andy Bishop and Paul Robinson with Lee Nogan and Lev Yalcin already on the club's books.

But now Brayson will be one of six strikers vying for a place up front along with Craig Farrell, Onome Sodje, Richard Brodie, Chris Beardsley and Alex Rhodes. He feels City have made real strides since his last visit.

He said: "When I came last time I had missed a lot of pre-season and hadn't played any games or trained. I was just thrown straight into it and was played on the left side of midfield which wasn't my position.

"It didn't work out and I moved on but the club's definitely changed a lot since then. On and off the field, it feels a lot better.

"Three years ago, there seemed to be a lot of financial problems but it's a lot more stable now. The club have also done very well in the league over the last two seasons.

"Now, the manager has brought in a lot of players and he feels the squad will be as good as last season if not better. When I played against York last season, the team looked a good passing side as well as being fit and strong and, in this division, if you are fit and can pass a ball, you will be challenging for the league."