YORK City's board have declared reaching the Sky Bet League Two play-offs as a "phenomenal achievement".

The Minstermen secured their qualification after a 1-0 victory over Newport County at the weekend guaranteed a top-seven spot and chairman Jason McGill said the efforts of manager Nigel Worthington and his squad had surpassed their expectations.

Declaring the club's desire to achieve Wembley glory next month, McGill, who has held the reins at Bootham Crescent for nine years, said: "Finally, we feel this club is heading where we want it to be."

“We are absolutely delighted to be in the play-offs and competing for promotion to League One," he said.

"It is a phenomenal achievement and well deserved after all the hard work and dedication Nigel Worthington, the players and everyone at the club have put in over the course of the season.

"As a board of directors, the target for this season was to establish ourselves in League Two. We have done that and have surpassed our main aim. We now want to continue achieving and win promotion to League One.

"We feel the past nine years have been about saving and stabilising this football club and now we are building for the future. We have a clear planned strategy going forward.

"We have invested £120,000 improving the training ground, we have recruited new personnel at the club to improve our professionalism, we will have a new community stadium with excellent facilities in 2016 and we have a first class manager to help to fulfil our football ambitions, which includes promotion.

"Finally, we feel this club is heading where we want it to be."

McGill also praised City's supporters and expressed his hope for a "capacity crowd" to cheer on the players in the home leg of the play-offs in a couple of weeks time.

He added: "The support the club has received from our fans has been amazing throughout the campaign. I would like to thank them all and hope we can repay them with more success in May.

"We hope to have a capacity crowd supporting us in the home leg and I’m sure it will be a fantastic atmosphere and will help to lift the players, who continue to be resilient, hardworking and brave. We are all very excited and looking forward to the challenge ahead.”

York's success in securing a play-off berth means the club's inaugural Player of the Year awards night has had to be switched to a new date. The ceremony was scheduled to take place at York Racecourse on May 8 but will now be held at the same venue on Monday, May 19.

Keeping the original date would have given the City players, who will all be attending the event, less than 48 hours to recover before they are due to kick off their first-leg semi-final play-off encounter.

City boss Nigel Worthington said: "We want to make it a night to remember and only by moving the date can we ensure all the players can attend while at the same time remaining fully focused on the play-offs.

"We hope supporters understand the reasons behind the decision. The club has announced the switch as soon as possible to give ticket holders every chance of making the necessary arrangements."