Ten games from the end of the regular season and with a top-three finish now appearing to be well out of their reach, York City must simply aim to finish as high as possible in the table going into the weekend arrival of Boston United to Bootham Crescent.
Currently fifth though having significantly already played more games than the three clubs immediately chasing them, the Minstermen are eight points behind third-placed Brackley Town, who also still have a couple of matches in hand.
Meanwhile, the two sides leading the division, namely Salford City and Harrogate Town, are respectively a further ten and seven points in advance of their nearest challengers, with Spennymoor Town, in the final play-off place, also noticeably having a massive five games in hand on York.
Following five straight victories around the turn of the year, City have since won just one of their last six games – and that ironically while maintaining an all too rare clean-sheet against title-favourites Salford City last month.
Boston’s recent defeat to Leamington broke an impressive sequence of nine games unbeaten, which had actually started when narrowly overcoming York 2-1 back in early December.
Vital Quotes:
“We’ve got to make sure now that we get some sort of consistency,” manager Martin Gray told BBC Radio York. “Because to get where we need to get to, we have to have that. This is now the time when it’s got to come. We can do as much talking as we want here, but the players have got to start delivering.”
York City Team News:
York boss Gray has promised changes following the inauspicious 1-1 home draw with Alfreton Town last time out. He’s definitely without suspended leading goalscorer Jon Parkin again, which could witness a recall for Louis Almond. But the likes of Theo Wharton, Connor Smith and even sixteen-year-old Vinnie Steels may be pushing after impressing for the reserves in midweek. Clovis Kamdjo also successfully continued his comeback with a second-half goal in that fixture.
York City (from): Bartlett, Brown, Burn, Bencherif, Ferguson, Heslop, Newton, Pattison, Connolly, Moke, Kempster, Smith, Almond, Correia, Parslow, Simpson, Williams, Law, Steels
Player to watch: Theo Wharton
Could now be given a chance having impressed his manager while appearing for the reserves during the week.
Boston United Team News:
Former York striker Reece Thompson misses out having been sent-off in the recent 1-0 defeat to Leamington. But fellow ex-City duo Taron Hare and Ryan Qualter should be involved. On loan Salford City winger Jake Beesley may earn a debut, although James Clifton [hip] and Brad McGowan [ankle] were not expected to recover in time. Defender Ben Middleton has though returned on loan from Harrogate Town.
Boston United (possible): Stewart, Atkinson, Qualter, Keane, Brogan, Rollins, Abbott, Thanoj, Hemmings, Smith, Tshimanga
subs (from): Willis, McGuire, Hare, Igiehon, Beesley, Middleton
Player to watch: Ashley Hemmings
Former Walsall and Dagenham & Redbridge winger with already a dozen goals to his credit this season.
Match Facts & Stats
The Pilgrims have made three previous visits to Bootham Crescent, and were victorious on the latest of those – a 1-0 FA Trophy first round success in December 2010. Team: Ingham, Parslow, McGurk, C. Smith (Sangare), Meredith, Boucaud, Weir, Racchi (Till), Chambers, Rankine, McDermott (Constantine).
Both other games were Football League Division Three meetings.
In October 2003, Jon Parkin scored the opener for City in a 1-1 draw. Team: Ovendale, Cooper, Smith, Brass, Hope, Merris, Ward, Dunning, Bullock (Crowe), Nogan (George), Parkin.
Meanwhile August 2002 had already brought York a 2-0 triumph courtesy of goals from Peter Duffield and Lee Nogan. Team: Beresford, Edmondson (Wood), Smith, Brass (Hobson), Cowan, Potter, Brackstone, Bullock, Duffield, Parkin (Rogerio), Nogan.
Next Fixtures:
York – Kidderminster (A); Boston – Stockport (A)
Weekend Games: AFC Telford v Spennymoor; Bradford PA v Alfreton; Darlington v Curzon Ashton; Gainsborough v Kidderminster; Harrogate v FC United of Manchester; Leamington v Chorley; Nuneaton v North Ferriby; Salford v Blyth; Southport v Tamworth; Stockport v Brackley; York City v Boston
