STEADFAST York City boss Neil Thompson has hurled down the goals gauntlet to all the men in red, writes Tony Kelly.

He insisted today that life goes on after Richard Cresswell and urged his new-look charges to strike out for glory in the ten-game battle to avoid the drop.

Thompson conceded supporters will ask who will hit the target for City now that 19-goal Cresswell is to ply his trade in the Premiership with Sheffield Wednesday.

Major onus would fall on new signing Marc Williams, whose preferred position is up front, plus Rodney Rowe and Neil Tolson, whose deadline day move to Rushden and Diamonds was so dramatically halted in the wake of Cresswell's £1million-plus move.

Yet Thompson believed the entire team had a role to play in the hunt for goals, starting at fellow strugglers Lincoln City on Sunday.

Countered the caretaker-manager: "Richard Cresswell has been a rich source of goals for us.

"But there's a full team out there on the pitch and it's up to everyone to chip in.

"Everyone at the club can make a contribution. We all have to take responsibility. I am prepared to, and I expect everyone to be professional about this."

Thompson toiled to recruit another striker yesterday. But the suddenness of the Owls' overture - 'we had never had any prior contact from them before about Cresswell' - left little time to manoeuvre.

However, the City leader was convinced there was ample talent in the squad, freshened up by the signings of Williams and deadline day recruit Craig Skinner, plus loan arrivals Chris Fairclough and Matthew Hocking, to complete City's great escape.

"I've had a great response from everyone. The new faces have livened up the place and life goes on after Richard Cresswell," said Thompson.

"We thank him and the likes of Tony Barras for their services, but now the priority is to the people we have got here today. We have to get on with what we have got."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.