YORK City could bolt the final nail in Northwich Victoria’s Blue Square Premier coffin if they can grab a vital three points at KitKat Crescent tomorrow.

The Vics come to the Minstermen 14 points from safety and will be relegated if they fail to take three points.

But they are a side who, in recent weeks, have looked determined not to go down without a fight.

Caretaker manager Andy Preece’s men delayed the drop on Tuesday night with a 2-0 win over fellow strugglers Woking at the Marston’s Arena – a result which, ironically, did City a huge favour.

Simon Grand and Luke Horrocks got the goals, but the result has been a fleeting glory in what has otherwise been a miserable season.

They have managed only six wins all season, with only two of those coming for the Cheshire-based club on their travels.

Only Lewes (16) have lost more away games than Northwich’s 14 and even they haven’t shipped the 47 goals that have been conceded in the Vics’ 21 trips.

Conceding goals has been the big problem as the 23 they have scored is by no means the Blue Square Premier’s worst.

And there has been improvement under Preece. He has picked up nine points from his ten matches in charge, the most of any of Northwich’s three bosses this term, and he believes his side are now much harder to break down.

“They’re enjoying themselves out there, long may it continue,” he said.

“We’ve given them a structure with which to play and have taken the lead in five of the past six matches.

“If I’m ultra-critical maybe we could have had more points from those positions because we were beating Wrexham, Torquay and Salisbury here.”

Northwich have shed players since the departure of previous boss Steve King and one of those is Vics’ leading scorer Darryn Stamp, who has six and joined UniBond side Gateshead on loan until the end of the season.

Match facts

The Vics have made three previous Conference visits and have drawn twice.

The clubs first met at York in September 2004 and the game ended goal-less.

In 2006/7, City won 2-1 thanks to an own goal and an effort from Martyn Woolford. The corresponding encounter last term was drawn 1-1 with Richard Brodie on target. The line-up on March 25, 2008 was: Evans, Parslow, McGurk, Craddock, Purkiss (Fortune-West), Elliott (Wroe), Panther, Woolford, Robinson, Sodje, Brodie.

Players who have appeared for both clubs include Jimmy Rudd, Jon McCarthy, Stuart Elliott, Paul Brayson, Darryn Stamp and Simon Rusk.

It happened on April 11

1952: Billy Hughes scored in a 1-0 home win over Gateshead in a Good Friday fixture watched by 12,166 and City were in the top half of Division Three North.

1955: A 2-2 draw at Accrington Stanley in a top of the table Northern Section encounter in front of 15,598 at Peel Park. Arthur Bottom and Norman Wilkinson were the scorers.

1978: A 2-1 win at Huddersfield Town with Ian McDonaldand Gordon Staniforth (penalty) on the scoresheet but City remained in the bottom four of the Fourth Division.

1987: Keith Walwyn (2) and Gary Ford netted in a 3-0 home win over Newport County. The attendance was 2,202 and City were in the bottom half of Division Three (League One).

Compiled by Dave Batters