LEWIS Montrose has insisted that York City will be paying no attention to table-topping Oxford’s impressive away record ahead of their visit to Bootham Crescent tomorrow.

The U’s have not lost on their Sky Bet League Two travels this term, winning six and drawing three of their opening nine fixtures away from the Kassam Stadium.

City are currently 20th in the table and trail tomorrow’s visitors by 17 points but Montrose, who spent two months on loan at Oxford last season, is undaunted by the form of Chris Wilder’s team on the road this term, preferring to focus on what will happen during the rest of the campaign.

The 25-year-old midfielder said: “What they have done is history and doesn’t bother us.

“It’s all about the future and what we can do because we want to win games and climb the table, which I truly believe we can do.

“This is anyone’s league. There is not much in it from top to bottom and, if you put a run of results together, you can find yourselves top.

“I think anybody can win the league and it’s still wide open.

“You can climb the table very quickly if you win games, which they are doing at the moment.

“That’s good for them. They have got good players but we have got good players too and it’s about what we do tomorrow – that’s the most important thing.

“We’re not worrying about them. It’s just a game of football that we want three points from.”

Montrose returned to parent club Gillingham after five appearances at Oxford in 2012/13 with a permanent move failing to materialise.

He was subsequently recruited by City boss Nigel Worthington but claimed he would not be out to prove a point against his one-time temporary employers.

He added: “I was only there for a short loan period and played a few games but I got the option to come to York in the summer and I am excited to be here now and playing for this club.

“I am looking forward to playing against them tomorrow but it does not give me a bigger incentive though.

“I just want to do well for the manager, the club and my team-mates and I will be looking to do that tomorrow by getting three points.”

• Don’t miss Dave Flett’s weekly round-up of the York City scene in The Press tomorrow.


Match facts

FOR the third successive time, Oxford United visit Bootham Crescent as league leaders.

In October 2009, they topped the Blue Square Premier and, in front of 4,302, the fixture was drawn 1-1, with Michael Rankine City’s scorer.

Last term, the clubs met here on September 1, 2012, and Oxford led League Two with a 100 per cent record after three games.

City won 3-1 to record their first home victory since their return to the Football League with Michael Coulson, Ashley Chambers and Patrick McLaughlin on the scoresheet watched by 4,015.

City lined up: Ingham, Oyebanjo, C Smith, Carlisle, Taylor, J Smith, Parslow, McLaughlin, Coulson (Fyfield), Walker (Blair), Chambers (Challinor).

Over the years, City and United have met in the second, third and fourth tiers of the Football League and Oxford have made 13 previous trips winning five times with two draws.

City’s biggest wins have been 2-0 in 1975/76 and 3-1 last season and Oxford’s biggest victory here was 4-1 in 1965/66.

The biggest crowd of the series was in 1964/65 when City won 2-1 watched by 8,108.

The clubs met eight times in Conference football, plus the 2010 play-off final at Wembley.

In the four games at Bootham Crescent, two were drawn, with Oxford winning 1-0 in 2007/8.

City won 1-0 in 2006/7 and the attendance of 5,378 that day was the biggest to see a non-League game here apart from promotion play-off ties.

Players who have represented both clubs include John Byrne, David Rush, Craig Farrell, Luke Foster, Craig Nelthorpe and Ben Purkiss. Managerial and coaching links are Denis Smith and Malcolm Crosby.

It happened on December 21

1957: City beat Hull City 3-1 at home in Division Three North with Norman Wilkinson, Arthur Bottom and Billy Fenton the marksmen. It was left winger Fenton’s 118th and last League goal he scored for the club. The crowd was 7,031.

1963: Oxford, with Ron Atkinson in their ranks, were the visitors in Division Four. Watched by Bootham Crescent’s smallest crowd to see a League game – 1,653 – Oxford won 2-0.

1974: City entertained Manchester United in Division Two (Championship) and in front of 15,114 the Reds won 1-0 with Stuart Pearson the scorer.

1990: Ian Helliwell netted both goals in a 2-0 home win over Aldershot in the Fourth Division. The attendance was 1,740.

2003: Kidderminster Harriers were beaten 1-0 at Bootham Crescent in Division Three (League Two). The marksman was Lee Bullock and the crowd was 2,973.

Compiled by David Batters