YORK City manager Nigel Worthington has warned his side to beware of stoppage-time specialists Accrington Stanley.

On Boxing Day (3pm), the Minstermen visit a Stanley team who have scored four goals after the 90-minute mark in their last nine games.

Two goals in the final 60 seconds of added-on time from Kai Naismith and James Gray saw James Beattie’s men snatch a shock 3-2 victory at Mansfield on Saturday and the four last-gasp efforts have been worth six Sky Bet League Two points to the Crown Ground outfit.

Without those goals, 17th-placed Accrington would be bottom of the League Two standings and Worthington has also not forgotten Peter Murphy’s 93rd-minute equaliser for Thursday’s hosts that threatened to derail City’s battle for Football League survival last April.

The City boss said: “Accrington have picked up and are doing quite well so it’s game on.

“They scored a lot of late goals last season, including one against us with almost the last kick of the game.

“We know they have got that in their make-up, which shows they have got spirit so we need to do what we can do and make sure we concentrate all the way through to the final whistle.”

City won plaudits for their display in Saturday’s 0-0 draw against Oxford from opposition boss Chris Wilder, but Worthington would like to swap compliments for victories now with his side having shared the spoils seven times during a winless nine-game sequence.

“Chris Wilder said we gave them the toughest game they have had all season,” Worthington revealed.

“Some people might say that’s easy for him to say when they are sat near the top of the league, but he was honest enough to say it.

“That’s nice to hear but we have really got to go and make things happen now and, if that means diving in with our heads where the studs are flying to get that goal and three points, that’s what we need to do.”

Midfielder Elliott Whitehouse could return to City’s starting line-up, having missed out during the draw against Oxford with Ryan Brobbel preferred as the fifth permitted loan player at the weekend.

But Brobbel could make way for Lanre Oyebanjo again if Worthington opts for a more compact 4-4-2 line-up in Lancashire.

“We can only do what we think is right for the team at any time,” the City boss explained. “We will be away from home on Thursday so will be looking at what to do over the next 48 hours.

“Whoever is left out will just need to keep working hard to force their way back in. We are also only a week away from being able to resolve a few of those loan situations, which could free up some space to bring another one or two in.”