By Dave Stanford

WHAT ended with the chilling thud of the relegation trap-door slamming shut had started with a blast in the sunshine.

The season was barely a minute old when Lee Bullock fired York City into a 1-0 lead at a baking Brunton Park.

Following his first half dismissal, player-boss Chris Brass had to watch the remainder of the match from the sidelines but watched proudly as his young guns held on for a rare opening day victory at Carlisle.

As City's travelling faithful celebrated, their joy was no doubt matched by a sense of relief.

A summer of upheaval had realised a new-look squad, hastily arranged in double-quick time, with a young and inexperienced player-manager at the helm.

Supporters, if they were being honest, were not eyeing a promotion push but a relegation dogfight as the season dawned.

Certainly, the pundits and bookies had City down before a ball had been kicked, and so an opening day win was a small step closer to the club's ultimate goal - safety.

What followed in those headiest of early days turned expectations on their head - and perhaps played a part in City's downfall.

City romped to victories at home to Northampton and Southend and won at Huddersfield, producing one of the best Minstermen performances in years.

City were re-writing the record books and topping the table and it was no fluke.

One-touch passing, fleet-footed movement off the ball, allied with plenty of passion, spirit and an exhaustive work-rate, dominated the view and City the opposition.

It couldn't continue, and sure enough, reality bit with a thumping at Lincoln, then savaged City with further defeats at home to Rochdale and at Yeovil.

From heroes to zeroes. City were hot one minute, freezing cold the next and there was precious in between.

Finally, City found some middle ground and in their next 19 League matches lost just four times in a solid but unspectacular run. However, City won just six and drew nine in total.

Still, thanks to their lightning start to the season, City were seemingly well-placed and there was certainly nothing to suggest the free-fall that was ultimately to end in the Conference.

In truth, City's lofty perch covered up some obvious weaknesses in the Minstermen's armoury - mainly a lack of a genuine goal-getter or player who could unlock mean defences with a change of pace and drop of the shoulder, and a tendency to concede too many soft goals from crosses.

It was perhaps less apparent and also quite understandable, but the unbeatable start to the season had also seen City's moderate pre-season ambition of safety shelved in favour of something much more ambitious.

By Christmas, City's Football League status was but just two or three wins from being secured and promotion was still in the air.

In reality, City's slide had already begun. But for those four wins at the start of the season, City would have been hovering just above the relegation places at Christmas.

However, instead of looking over their shoulders, City were looking up. The Minstermen got comfortable, perhaps too comfortable, and took their eye off the ball.

By the time the red warning lights started to flash, it was too late. The rot had already set in and City were Conference-bound.

:: Dave Stanford covered City up to the away game at Darlington in December.