YORK City will be hoping to record a first-ever victory over Maidstone tomorrow, having failed in six previous attempts.

Prior to folding in 1992, the Kent club enjoyed four victories and two draws in their previous guise against the Minstermen when the two clubs plied their trades together in the Football League.

Those results included a hat-trick of away defeats for City, with the most memorable reverse a 5-4 thriller that saw Nigel Pepper, Ian Blackstone, Ian Helliwell and Tony Barratt on target for the beaten visitors.

At Bootham Crescent, meanwhile, 1-1 and 0-0 draws bookended a 1-0 defeat for the North Yorkshire hosts.

Following their financial troubles, the club were reformed as Maidstone Invicta and joined the Kent County League’s fourth division in 1993.

Now known as United, current boss Jay Saunders has overseen three promotions in four years as the club have climbed up from the Ryman League Division One South to the National League.

Ex-Margate and Lewes midfielder Saunders, who is now 37, has also haunted City in the past.

He featured for Gravesend and Northfleet during the Minstermen’s infamous 4-0 away defeat as Chris Brass’ relegated outfit were given a rude awakening to non-League football life in August 2004.

Goalkeeper Paul Crichton never played for City again after trading insults with away fans during the match and another underwhelming summer signing Shaun Smith was replaced at half-time.

Saunders masterminded a shock National League South play-off final victory, meanwhile, over former club Ebbsfleet last season to secure promotion for a Stones team that had finished seven points adrift of their big-spending opponents and 13 behind champions Sutton United.

Substitute Dumebi Dumaka took the game to penalties with a last-minute equaliser in extra-time, before goalkeeper Lee Worgan made the vital save from Danny Kedwell in the shoot-out, having earlier been beaten twice from the spot by the same player.

Both Dumaka and Worgan are expected to start against City, although the latter was rested with a minor problem for Maidstone’s last friendly – a 3-0 victory at Faversham eight days ago.

Worgan, 32, is one of only six players on the Gallagher Stadium books with Football League experience, having accumulated 12 outings at MK Dons, Wycombe and Rushden.

Defender Callum Davies also managed 29 appearances for Gillingham, while Callum Driver (Burton), Jack Evans (Gillingham), Bobby-Joe Taylor (Cambridge) and Joe Healy (Millwall) all only mustered single-figure stints in League football.

Ben Greenhalgh, meanwhile, plied his trade just as briefly in the Scottish Premier League with Inverness.

Maidstone were unbeaten in pre-season, beating Folkestone Invicta (6-1), Welling (4-0) and Faversham (3-0), while sharing the spoils with Sevenoaks (1-1), Ashford (2-2), Concord Rangers (1-1) and Leatherhead (1-1).

The game against Concord was the only home fixture played on the club’s newly-laid 4G pitch.

Saunders is hoping that centre-back Kevin Lokko, who was signed from Welling in the summer, will be fit after picking up an ankle injury against Faversham, while last term’s 13-goal top scorer Jay May (calf) and fellow forward Alex Flisher (knee) are both doubtful, having missed big chunks of pre-season, which leaves Dumaka as the only recognised forward definitely available.

In fact, Lokko was the joint-top scorer in pre-season with two goals.

In addition to Lokko, Greenhalgh and Evans, Saunders also signed Ebbsfleet centre-back Anthony Acheampong and Tom Murphy from Dover during the close season.

Manny Parry, meanwhile, is the only member of the play-off winning team who has moved on.

Despite the perceived advantage of their artificial playing surface last term, Maidstone also had a better record away from their 3,030-capacity home, taking a point more on the road.

Maidstone (probable): Worgan, Driver, Acheampong, Lokko, Mills, B Taylor, Sweeney, Greenhalgh, Rogers, Murphy, Dumaka.