It started with the high of City scoring the football league’s first goal of the season.  It ended needing a fluke 90^th minute goal direct from a corner to keep the Minstermen out of a final match fight for survival.  In between were more comings and goings, a date with premiership opposition in the cup and the realisation that Terry Dolan’s reign would not bring overnight success to Bootham Crescent.

Following the positive end to 99/00, city fans were looking forward with some optimism.  Amongst the new summer arrivals were reliable Darlington goal poacher Peter Duffield, Stoke’s former England U21 left sided player Graham Potter and young striker David McNiven.  Darren Edmondson also put pen to paper on a permanent move after his successful loan spell.

Duffield’s first minute debut goal in the sunshine at Chesterfield proved to be a false dawn for the game and for the season as City went down 4-1.  The team didn’t seem to be clicking and after a 2-0 home defeat to Cheltenham, they were propping up the football league and were dumped out of the league cup thanks to a 5-1 humiliation at home to Stoke.

City tightened up and a five game unbeaten run followed with some positive play and signs that the team was gelling.  In a major blow, Duffield broke his leg during the 2-0 home win against Scunthorpe and goals now looked a real problem.  After moving up the table, City faced their first big test against in form Rochdale but a disappointing 2-0 midweek reverse was the first of four successive defeats.

Despite the heralded arrival of ex Newcastle and Ipswich striker Alex Mathie, City’s promised play-off challenge never really picked up again and the Minstermen were ever more reliant on the heroics of Alan Fettis in goal.  With out of favour Barry Conlon joining Colchester on loan, more loanees were bought in to boost the team including strikers Neil Tarrant from Aston Villa and Chris Iwelumo from Stoke.

It was left to the FA Cup to provide some excitement for the fans – some of whom were beginning to turn against the manager.  Non-league Radcliffe Borough were disposed of 4-1 at Bury’s Gigg Lane to set up a second round tie against Division 2 high-flyers Reading.  In a thrilling December game, City came from two down to draw 2-2 at Bootham Crescent with Mathie firing a 35 yard rocket in off the bar for the equaliser.  In the replay at the Madejski, City’s travelling faithful were sent into dreamland with a shock 3-1 win.  After Steve Agnew equalised an early Reading goal, suspiciously offside looking strikes from Colin Alcide and Iwelumo gave city the win and a trip to Leicester City in round 3.

Fish and chips were the order of the day as Dolan revealed that the secret to city’s cup success was partly down to day trips to the seaside before cup games and a diet of freshly battered cod.  Fans might have questioned why City didn’t move to the coast full time as the erratic league form continued.  Mark Bower returned on loan from Bradford to shore up the defence and was joined by Ulsterman Darren Patterson.  A 1-0 Boxing Day win courtesy of Iwelumo set up the big cup game nicely but City went into 2001 in 18th place – a disappointing end to the year.

So, on to Filbert Street.  Over 3000 fans travelled to the Midlands in fine voice but a very defensive starting 11 created few chances other than a woeful first-half attempt from Iwelumo when one on one with the keeper.  City ran out of ideas and Leicester’s class shone through in the second half with Gary Rowett, Muzzy Izzet and former City favourite Richard Cresswell scoring to end city’s cup adventure.

The season nose-dived after Leicester.  Only one point was picked up from a possible 18 and the Minstermen suffered another embarrassing cup exit when Darlington won 4-0 at Bootham Crescent in the first round of the LDV Trophy.  Patterson had already jumped ship to join Oxford, Chris Fairclough was released without playing all season, and Iwelumo – a target for many fans’ frustrations following a series of disappointing displays – left following a 4-0 defeat at Scunthorpe.  Former Chester midfielder Nick Richardson was added to the squad along with experienced striker Lee Nogan.

The two new boys made their debuts as the season reached it’s zenith on February 17^th 2001.  Following the abysmal 3-0 home defeat to fellow strugglers Exeter City, the Minstermen were bottom of the football league and morale seemed at an all time low.

Dolan’s job was now on the line as the team travelled over the Pennines to Spotland and a midweek game at Rochdale.  It was a time for the players to stand up and be counted.  A goal on his full debut from 17 year old Scott Emmerson gave city a vital 1-0 win and sparked a pitch invasion by the success starved travelling supporters!

The win at Spotland sparked a nine game unbeaten run.  By now, the squad was taking shape with more of Neil Thompson’s players leaving.  Marc Sertori and Kevin Hulme were the latest casualties of the clear out as Nottingham Forest youngster Richard Cooper joined – initially on loan – with central defenders Gary Hobson and Mike Basham.  The turnaround included a fine 3-1 away win at Mansfield in March (with goals from Potter, Alcide and Nogan) sandwiched between a 1-0 home win against Southend and a 2-0 derby win against Darlington.

Another notable addition to the squad was the Burnley’s Chris Brass - making his debut as a substitute in a goalless home draw with Lincoln.  A 2-1 home defeat by Plymouth bought the fine run to an end but City bounced back to beat Halifax 2-1 at Bootham Crescent.

They looked a win away from safety but City’s fans, mindful of their fate when relegated from Division 2 just under 2 years ago, were  made to wait.  A 0-0 derby draw at Hull was followed by a stirring 3-3 draw at home to Cardiff that sent the Bluebirds up.  Whilst Cardiff’s fans celebrated on the pitch, City fans faced a long trip to Torquay against another team in trouble.  A draw would be enough to secure safety – a defeat would leave them in real trouble and needing wins in their last games.

With four minutes to go at Plainmoor the unthinkable happened.  City - who had been leading through an early Basham goal – conceded a Jimmy Aggrey header which put the Gulls 2-1 ahead.  The game summarised everything that had been bad about City that season.  A last week showdown looked on the cards and few fans would have backed City.

And then it happened.  A last minute corner was won on the right.  Potter stepped up and swung it in.  It beat everyone and crept in to the roof of the net – cue mayhem and relief as City grabbed the point they needed in the most bizarre of circumstances.

With safety secured, the season filtered out with a midweek loss at Shrewsbury and a Colin Alcide winner at home to Kidderminster on the last day.  But everyone knew that City had had luck on their side and that things could not go on like this.  Major changes would be needed in the close season after another year of disappointment.