YORK City boss Billy McEwan has always insisted this season that the only league position that matters is a team's final placing on April 29.

The Minstermen currently occupy fourth spot, which in five weeks' time would be sufficient to extend the KitKat Crescent club's campaign by at least a further two matches and potentially a third which has finally been confirmed will take place on Saturday, May 20 at Leicester City's Walkers Stadium, kick-off 5.30pm.

That date, if anybody needs clarification, will decide this season's Conference play-off final winners and supporters of at least seven teams, including City, will have pencilled it in their diaries provisionally with fingers crossed as their clubs aim to be in the top-five shake-up come the end of next month.

Fans of faltering long-time leaders Accrington will also have noted it but with trepidation rather than anticipation.

As the Conference campaign enters its final month, the diary decided it was the right moment to look at the ease or difficulty of each of the top eight clubs' run-ins, in league position order.

Accrington Stanley - what seemed a formality a fortnight ago suddenly looks less certain and the famous old club's 11-point advantage at the top could be whittled down further in coming weeks.

Today's tricky trip to KitKat Crescent is the first of six matches against sides who still harbour play-off hopes or are embroiled in a relegation battle. John Coleman's men are, therefore, unlikely to have an easy ride but should still clinch the title before the final day visit to Kidderminster.

Hereford United - The Bulls are the only club who realistically have a chance of catching Accrington but face tough away games against play-off outsiders Woking and top-five rivals Morecambe and the Minstermen. Graham Turner's side should, however, have accumulated enough points to clinch their play-off place in home matches against Kidderminster, Dagenham, Tamworth and Southport before they visit York for the final game of the season.

Halifax Town - Easter could be the crunch time for the Shaymen with a Good Friday home clash against Stevenage followed by the Bank Holiday Monday derby showdown at KitKat Crescent. Should Chris Wilder's men come unstuck in those games, though, they should still recover with favourable fixtures in their last two matches against Crawley Town and Canvey Island.

York City - On paper, the Minstermen have the toughest run-in although, with four of their seven top-eight rivals still to play including today's meeting with Accrington, the fixture list offers a great opportunity to inflict damage as well as strengthen their own position. Points will be crucial against mid-table trio Altrincham, Kidderminster Harriers and Cambridge United before a mouth-watering last three fixtures against Halifax, Stevenage and Hereford.

Stevenage Borough - A difficult run-in for the Hertfordshire side who face Halifax and City in two of their last four fixtures and also go to Forest Green Rovers on the final day of the season when the Gloucestershire side could be fighting for their lives.

Morecambe - Traditionally blow up during the final third of the Conference season and successive home games against Hereford and Woking could prove crucial in their fortunes this time around, as may their trip to Grays on the last day of the season.

Grays Athletic - Last season's Conference South champions' punishing fixture schedule, including four games in seven days with three away from home, makes you wonder why any Conference club with promotion ambitions would want to bother with the FA Trophy. Grays were playing the second leg of their semi-final with Exeter in the competition this afternoon and have been forced to rearrange several league games towards the end of the season as a result of their progress. Mark Stimson's team are still likely to be in top-five contention when Morecambe visit on the final day of the season but could then be too exhausted to successfully negotiate three further play-off fixtures.

Exeter City - The Devon club only face one top-12 side in their final eight games - Grays away on April 8 - but have lost six out of seven league fixtures and will need to improve considerably to force their way back into the play-off frame.

Our run-in graphic also illustrates the size of second-bottom Scarborough's challenge to stay in the Conference.

Half of the Seadogs' last eight fixtures are against top-eight sides with Neil Redfearn's men still facing trips to Accrington, Stevenage and Exeter and a home match against Grays.

Should Boro fail to beat the drop, there could be a change in the North Yorkshire non-League pecking order with Harrogate Town currently occupying a Conference North play-off spot.

Dominant David

EVENING Press Player of the Year front-runner David McGurk has bagged his second monthly accolade of the season.

McGurk, who was our Player of the Month in August, can be confirmed as the March winner regardless of this afternoon's home clash with Accrington Stanley.

A lucky Evening Press reader will present McGurk with his prize - a framed action photograph - at City's home game with Kidderminster on Sunday, April 9.

To be in with a chance of presenting this month's or April's Player of the Month award, please send your man-of-the-match votes for any game by e-mail to dave.flett@ycp.co.uk within 48 hours of the final whistle.

Latest Evening Press Player of the Year standings: McGurk 35, A Bishop 27, Dunning 27, Convery 22, Donaldson 22, Merris 16, Dudgeon 11, O'Neill 10, Andrews 9, N Bishop 7, Hotte 6, Craddock 5, Peat 5, Price 5, Barwick 3, N'Toya 3, Panther 3, Thomas 3, Horwood 2, Porter 2.

Evening Press Player of the Month for March latest standings (based on Evening Press ratings and including two points per game for the player who polls most man-of-the-match votes from our readers): McGurk 12, Dudgeon 6, A Bishop 3, Convery 2, N Bishop 1.

STATS ATTACK

Goals: A Bishop 21, Donaldson 13, Convery 6, Dudgeon 6, O'Neill 5, McGurk 2, Stewart 2, N Bishop 1, Dunning 1, Own Goal 1, Thomas 1.

Goal assists: Donaldson 14, Dunning 12, A Bishop 10, Convery 10, O'Neill 2, Panther 2, Andrews 1, Dudgeon 1, N Bishop 1, Mansaram 1, McGurk 1, Merris 1, Peat 1, Porter 1, Stewart 1.

Bad boys: Dudgeon six yellows; A Bishop, Donaldson, Dunning all five yellows; Hotte one red, three yellows; Convery four yellows; Panther, Peat, Price all three yellows; Horwood, O'Neill, Thomas all two yellows; Andrews, Barwick, N Bishop, Craddock, Mansaram, McGurk, Merris, Palmer, Porter all one yellow.