NEWLY-PROMOTED Ashton United will entertain York City tonight hoping to extend their unbeaten run to a ninth match.

The Robins have won six games and drawn two since their last defeat - a 2-1 home loss to Stalybridge Celtic in April.

That reverse is also just one of two suffered by the Greater Manchester outfit during their last 22 fixtures on home turf - a sequence stretching back to September 2017.

Coalville are the only other club to have tasted victory at Hurst Cross in that time during a run that has otherwise encompassed 14 wins and seven draws.

United ended last season with four consecutive 2-1 triumphs against Nantwich, Matlock, Workington and Farsley before overcoming Grantham Town 2-0 in the Evo-Stik Northern League premier division play-off final.

Jody Banim’s team had also netted in 22 consecutive home games before kicking off the new campaign with a 0-0 draw against Nuneaton, but have since beaten FC United of Manchester 4-3 and shared the spoils 3-3 with Kidderminster.

Nigerian winger Mathias Bakare is expected to be ruled out against the Minstermen, having been sidelined ten minutes into the new season.

Dave Carnell, Lanre Olapade, Ryan Crowther, Nicky Platt, Josh Stachini and Alex Johnson have not figured either yet this term.

Nor has Banim who, at the age of 40, is still registered as a player.

Banim started out as a Manchester United trainee and bagged a brace against City for hosts Droylsden during a memorable 4-3 away victory on New Year’s Day 2008.

He was signed as front-line cover for Ashton in 2015 and scored with his first touch as a Robin, before returning to the club in the summer of 2016 after a brief spell with Radcliffe Borough.

Banim subsequently took charge of the team that September following the likes of John Coleman and Sammy McIlroy, who have also managed the club.