After two successive defeats, Mansfield Town will welcome York City to Field Mill tomorrow looking to get their play-off charge back on track.

A run of just three defeats in 11 games had taken the Stags to within three points of the play-off zone.

However, a 3-2 defeat to Lincoln City last Saturday and a 2-1 reverse inflicted by Shrewsbury has left Billy Dearden's young side seven points adrift of seventh spot.

And having played two games more than Southend, who occupy the final play-off place, three points from the Minstermen will be Mansfield's minimum requirement tomorrow.

The Stags received a boost this week when ex-Scarborough centre-back Stuart Hicks came through 83 minutes of the midweek game with Shrewsbury unscathed.

Hicks had been out since the turn of the year with hamstring trouble and so his return to senior duty was particularly well-timed.

Fellow centre-back Adam Barrett, who had also been out since January, returned to the team against Lincoln but limped from the pitch with a knee injury and is now expected to be out for sometime.

Mansfield will be sweating on the fitness of star striker Shayne Bradley, who played in the defeat at Shreswbury, but only after having painkillers injected into an injured toe.

Bradley, a £150,000 recruit from Southampton in the summer, has spent much of the season on the treatment table but has still scored six goals.

If Bradley, who former City manager Neil Thompson tired to lure to Bootham Crescent on loan from the Dell last season, is risked again he will likely partner Chris Greenacre in attack.

The former Manchester City striker, who had a spell on loan at Scarborough a couple of seasons ago, is in a rich vein of form having banged in 18 goals.

Much of Mansfield's success this season has been based on a productive youth policy with the likes of Alistair Asher, Dave Jervis and Craig Disley all progressing from the club's youth team.

Dearden may be tempted to hand young winger Liam Lawrence his full debut tomorrow having made a couple of promising appearances from the bench.

Former City goalkeeper Bobby Mimms is expected to line-up against his former club with Kevin Pilkington, the former Manchester United shot-stopper familiar to Minstermen fans following the club's never to be forgotten Coca-Cola Cup 3-0 victory at Old Trafford in 1995, on the bench.

York City (possible): Alan Fettis, Richard Cooper, Barry Jones, Matt Hocking, Mark Bower, Marc Thompson, Lee Bullock, Steve Agnew, Nick Richardson, David McNiven, Lee Nogan. Subs (from): Russ Howarth, Alex Mathie, Colin Alcide, Leigh Wood, Gary Hobson, Graham Potter. Injury news: Neville Stamp (calf), Wayne Hall (thigh), Peter Duffield (broken leg), Kevin Hulme, Christian Fox, Darren Edmondson (all knee) Suspended: None

Mansfield (possible): Bobby Mimms, Alistair Asher, Stuart Hicks, Les Robinson, Dave Jervis, Lee Williams, Mark Blake, Craig Disley, Wayne Corden, Chris Greenacre, Shayne Bradley Subs (from): Kevin Pilkington, Liam Lawrence, Danny Bacon, Mickey Boulding, Lee Williamson, Bobby Hassell.Injury news: Adam Barrett (knee), Michael Sisson, Jamie Lomas (both cruciate), Martin Pemberton (knee ligament), Darryl Clarke (ankle) Suspended: None

Updated: 13:56 Friday, March 09, 2001