CHRIS LAKEY Adam Drury is hoping to see a repeat of the spirit of a memorable night in 2002 when City aim to end a long winless run at Wolves today.

CHRIS LAKEY

Adam Drury is hoping to see a repeat of the spirit of a memorable night in 2002 when City aim to end a long winless run at Wolves today.

The Canaries skipper was in the Canaries team that, having beaten Wolves 3-1 at Carrow Road, put up a monumental defensive display to keep Wolves at bay and restrict them to a 1-0 win - ensuring City a place in the play-off final at the Millennium Stadium.

It was a night few City fans will forget and, result aside, Drury would settle for a repeat this afternoon.

“We could do with that - not the same result, but in terms of performance,” said Drury who, along with Paul McVeigh and Craig Fleming are the only players from that team still at Carrow Road.

“The attitude in that game was first class and that took us to the play-off final - and where we are in the table at the minute we need to start winning games.

“We want to get up the other end of the table, otherwise, if we don't turn it around, we are looking at the wrong end of the table and it's not where we want to be. It becomes a reality then - no team in this division is too good to go down or to get involved in a relegation fight.”

It's a stark reality that come the turn of the New Year, City could well be hovering too close for comfort to the relegation zone, should the next four results go against them. But four good results and the play-offs would be within reach.

“This league is so tight,” said Drury. “People say how far you're off the play-offs, how far you're off the bottom, but it only takes a run of games either way, wins or losses, and you get yourself dragged into a relegation fight or battling for promotion or the play-offs again.”

More than a decade has passed since City last won at Molineux - and it won't be any easier.

“It is not an easy place to go, we know that, but we have to turn our away form around and hopefully that can start on Saturday,” added Drury. “If you come out of the Christmas period and you haven't got any good results and people are struggling for form and the team is not playing well as a team you come out of that period on a bad run. But if we can pick up a couple of wins, especially away from home, then it can change things around and we have to change it around quickly.”

The spin-off of success is that it makes manager Peter Grant's job of attracting new players to the club in the January transfer window somewhat easier.

“That can make a big difference - if there is a choice between us and another couple of clubs they might look at the table and see where we are so if we are that bit higher and we look like we are going to be challenging then it might just swing the vote in our favour,” he said.