finished midtable the following season, but only avoided relegation in 1995–96 with a win on the final day of the season, although they knocked Manchester United out of the 1995–96 League Cup. In the following season's competition they eliminated Everton, but again narrowly avoided relegation that season. York's form continued to falter by the late 1990s, and Little was dismissed in March 1999 after a run of 10 matches without a win. York player Neil Thompson took over as caretaker manager, but he was unable to avoid relegation to the Third Division, after a defeat on the last day of 1998–99. He was appointed permanently in May 1999, but was dismissed in February 2000 with York 21st in the table. Former Hull City manager Terry Dolan was appointed and he led York clear of relegation in 1999–2000. Despite off-pitch problems at the club, York were in an automatic promotion place by late March 2003, before finishing 10th in 2002–03. York player Chris Brass was appointed player-manager in June 2003; aged 27, this made him the youngest managerial appointment in the Football League since 1946. Having been 10th in the table in January 2004, York went 20 matches without a win and were relegated to the Conference National after 2003–04, which brought to an end 75 years of Football League membership. Brass was dismissed in November 2004 with York fourth from bottom of the table, and his assistant Viv Busby took caretaker charge before the appointment of former Derby County coach Billy McEwan in February 2005. McEwan steered York away from relegation with a 17th-place finish in 2004–05, and his rebuilt team finished eighth the following season. York reached the play-offs in 2006–07, but were beaten 1–0 on aggregate by Morecambe in the semi-final. With home form poor McEwan was dismissed in November 2007, and his assistant Colin Walker took over as caretaker manager before being appointed permanently in December. After only five wins from the first 19 matches of 2008–09, Walker was dismissed in November 2008, and was succeeded by former Port Vale manager Martin Foyle. York avoided relegation in the penultimate match of the season and reached the 2009 FA Trophy Final, in which they were beaten by Stevenage Borough. Foyle's York lost to Oxford United in the 2010 Conference Premier play-off Final, and he resigned in September 2010 with the team 15th in the table 10 matches into