EXETER City are expected to be without leading scorer Lee Phillips for tomorrow's crunch Conference clash against York City at KitKat Crescent.

Five-goal Phillips, 25, limped out of the action with a hamstring problem during Exeter's 1-1 home draw against Woking on Tuesday night and is doubtful for the Minstermen meeting.

Grecians boss Alex Inglethorpe has confirmed that he will leave a decision over the ex-Plymouth and Weymouth striker's availability until the last possible moment but former professional boxer Steve Flack, Jake Edwards and Craig Watkins are likely to compete for an attacking starting place alongside Craig Farrell.

Long-serving Flack, 34, has scored 87 goals for the St James Park club in nine years and would seem the most likely replacement for Phillips.

The Devon club are also expected to be missing first-choice central midfielders Glenn Cronin and Paul Buckle.

Captain Cronin has a groin injury and assistant-manager Buckle has a heel problem but could make the bench.

Jon Challinor and Andy Taylor are set to continue in the middle of the park in their absence.

Centre-back Chris Todd is also likely to make the trip despite suffering a gash to his head against Woking.

City match points

York City v Exeter

EXETER have won on their last four visits to York - three in the Football League and last season in the Conference.

They made 18 Football League trips winning seven times and drawing on three occasions. The biggest of City's eight victories was 6-1 in 1960/61, while their last home success over the Grecians was in 1993/94 when Paul Barnes scored twice from the penalty spot in a 3-0 win. Steve Cooper was the other scorer that day.

Exeter won the corresponding game last term 2-1 after Jon Maloney had given City the lead. The line-up on March 5, 2005 was: Porter, Law, Maloney, Groves, Smith, Donovan, Dunning (P Robinson), Webster, Merris, Bishop (Jackson), P D Robinson.

Players to have appeared for both clubs include Tom Kelly, Brian Joy, Hugh Atkinson, Gary Howlett, John Edgar and Barry Pierce. Bobby Saxton managed both in the 1980s.

It Happened on October 1

1949: City gained their second victory of the season when they beat Accrington Stanley 2-1 at Bootham Crescent with Alf Patrick scoring both goals but remained bottom of Division Three North. The attendance was 7,274.

1958: City stayed top of the Fourth Division when they beat Crewe Alexandra 4-2 at Gresty Road with goals from Peter Wragg 2, Billy Hughes and Colin Addison.

1962: A run of nine games without a win ended with a 5-1 home success over Darlington in front of 4,455. Marksmen were Norman Wilkinson 2, Walter Gould, Dennis Hoggart and Billy Rudd and City were 20th in the Fourth.

1965: City recorded their first home win of the season when they beat Swansea Town 5-1 at Bootham Crescent with goals netted by Andy Provan 2, John Pearson, Paul Aimson and Billy Rudd. The crowd was 8,782 and City were 15th in Division Three (League One).

1983: A 4-0 home win over Blackpool maintained City's grip at the top of Division Four. John Byrne and Keith Walwyn each scored twice in front of 4,058.

1985: Keith Houchen 2 and Dale Banton were the scorers in a 3-0 home victory against Bolton, who had Sam Allardyce in their line-up. The attendance numbered 4,480 and City moved up to fourth in the Third Division (League One).

1988: Halifax Town were beaten 5-3 at Bootham Crescent with Martin Butler, Darren Bradshaw, Tony Canham, Dale Banton (pen) and Gary Howlett on target. Under the caretaker managership of Barry Swallow, City were 17th in Division Four and the crowd was 2,238. (Prior to the recent win over Altrincham this was the last time that five different players had scored in a match for the club).

1996: A 2-2 home draw against Bristol Rovers watched by 3,714. Neil Tolson and Adrian Randall were the scorers and City were 17th in Division Two (League One).

Compiled by David Batters

Early Conference leaders Exeter will go into the match having taken just one point from a possible nine with back-to-back defeats against Burton and Stevenage preceding their draw against Woking.

That three-game sequence has seen Exeter slip from the top of the table to fifth - one place below the Minstermen.

Exeter manager Inglethorpe has praised City boss Billy McEwan for reversing the club's fortunes but added that his team are capable of taking maximum points, saying: "York have had two bad years and their manager has done a very good job to turn it around.

"They are riding high at the minute, but they went to Aldershot and got beat last weekend so they are certainly a beatable side - I am sure of that."

Updated: 10:56 Friday, September 30, 2005