OCTOBER 23, 2001, will hardly go down as the most memorable of dates in the impressive career of York City goalkeeper Alan Fettis.

Despite a man-of-the-match display between the sticks, the efforts of the 31-year-old net-minder that night were all in vain as City were crushed 4-1 by Kidderminster Harriers - a side that had previously only scored three goals in seven games at home.

But 14 months on, Fettis and his Minstermen team-mates return to the Aggborough Stadium knowing they have more than a few wrongs to right.

And with the City squad pulling together during darker times off the field, Fettis believes they can finally end their Harriers' hoodoo - they also lost 3-1 at Kidderminster the season before last.

"Last season's game is one I don't want to remember to be honest," said Fettis talking about the 4-1 defeat. "We certainly can put teams on the right track - we did it a few times last season!

"It was one of those things. They hadn't scored for a while then all of a sudden they bang four in. It happens, but I do think now that we have got a bit more resolve and determination and the way things have been going means that we expect to get something out of every game, which is a nice positive thing.

"We haven't exactly done brilliantly against Kidderminster in the past, so I think we will want to put that record straight and I think we have got the squad and the players now that can do it.

"We'll go to Kidderminster in a positive frame of mind and hope that we can come away with at least a point."

York go into the game having seen their six-game unbeaten run finally halted by Second Division Brentford in the FA Cup, but former Northern Ireland international Fettis is confident a return to the League will see the club back on the right track.

"The lads are all disappointed by the defeat against Brentford as we had chances and the goals we conceded we aren't too happy about," said Fettis. "But we can take things out of that defeat. We worked hard and we created the chances - okay their 'keeper made some great saves and then as we pushed for the winner they broke away and score, but the positives are there.

"We've just had to pick ourselves up and get on with it. The League is a different thing all together and our form this year has been good. Even when we've had a dip it hasn't been terrible as we've still hung on to the coat tails of the leaders and have got ourselves in a good position where we are just a couple of points off automatic promotion."

The run has seen City move up to eighth in the table, one place and one point outside the play-off places, and Fettis believes the tightening of the back-line has been the platform for their rise up the rankings.

"In the last few years we have conceded a lot and not scored too many, but now we have turned it around," he added. "This season we have scored a few more, but we have cut the goals down and I haven't been as busy.

"In previous years, if we conceded one, there was a good chance we'd concede a few more. But this year we have tightened things up, we are a lot more organised and we can mix the game up."

City boss Terry Dolan is likely to make just minor adjustments to his team for tomorrow, with the same line-up from the 2-1 League victory over Carlisle expected.

That means a return for on-loan Sunderland striker Michael Reddy, who was cup-tied for the visit of Brentford. Christian Fox is likely to drop back to the substitutes' bench.

Tom Cowan returns to the squad but defender Chris Smith is out after sustaining an ankle injury in the reserves midweek victory over Scunthorpe, while Alex Mathie is ruled out with a virus.

Updated: 12:44 Friday, December 13, 2002