YORK City boss Russ Wilcox believes deadline-day loan signings Shaun Miller and Josh O'Hanlon can fire the club to Football League safety.

Miller, who has been recruited from Coventry, has netted 57 goals during 179 games as a professional, including 19 in 2010/11 at first club Crewe.

Bournemouth forward O'Hanlon, at 19, is eight years younger than his fellow new arrival but, whilst he is still waiting to make his debut for the Championship promotion hopefuls, he plundered seven goals during a 12-match spell at Southern League premier division outfit Poole Town earlier this season.

Wilcox also revealed that the ex-Longford Town rookie reminds him of Paddy Madden - his former charge at Scunthorpe who has netted 15 times for the Iron this term.

Both players are in contention for City's Sky Bet League Two trip to Mansfield on Saturday with Wilcox adding: "We're hoping they will both bring goals because that's the first thing you are looking for when you sign new strikers.

"Shaun has scored the last two times I have watched him so, hopefully, that's a good omen with eight games left because he's a good finisher. Josh is a hungry Irish boy, who reminds me a little bit of Paddy Madden with his willingness to run and chase and he's also scored goals in the League of Ireland and for Poole Town."

Miller made his professional debut for Crewe at the age of 19 during a 4-0 FA Cup defeat at Bradford in November 2006.

He went on to score in his fourth and fifth outings for the Railwaymen.

The Alsager-born attacker later hit the target six times and made 36 appearances as Crewe went up via the League Two play-offs in 2012, only to leave for Sheffield United, where he lined up alongside City's first-team coach Richard Cresswell before his progress was curtailed following a nine-month spell on the sidelines with cruciate ligament damage.

He ended last season on loan at Shrewsbury where, along with new City team-mates Luke Summerfield and Dave Winfield, he could not save the Shropshire side from relegation despite hitting the target three times in eight matches.

The 5ft 10in frontman subsequently signed a one-year deal at Coventry, where he has only managed one start during his 13 matches for the Sky Blues but still scored twice.

He spent a month on loan with Crawley, meanwhile, at the end of last year before returning to the Ricoh Stadium with a calf strain that has meant he has only featured once during 2015, as a 77th-minute substitute at Gillingham on January 17.

Miller did return to action, however, with a goal for the Midland club's under-21 side during a 2-1 defeat against Millwall on Monday with Wilcox grateful that new Sky Blues boss Tony Mowbray sanctioned a loan move.

The City chief said: "Shaun Miller is very experienced and it's very difficult to get experienced strikers at this stage of the season. Nobody normally wants to let anybody out so I'm delighted to have him here.

"He's also hungry because he's out of contract this summer, so he's playing for his future. Hopefully, that will bring the best out of him because he has a good pedigree, having been schooled at Crewe."

O'Hanlon is under contract at Bournemouth for another two years, having joined the south-coast club from Longford in a £50,000 deal during January 2014 following a trial with Manchester United.

He scored seven goals in 22 outings for the Irish club and believes that experience will stand him in good stead, citing the example of fellow loanee Brad Halliday, whose formative years were spent at Redcar Town.

"Josh is young and enthusiastic and has lots of pace and power," Wilcox added. "He's not ready for Bournemouth's team yet because they are pushing for the Premier League but they gave him a three-and-a-half year contract, which shows you what they think of him. I have spoken to people down there who I know and they've told me he is making good progress.

"He's robust for 19 and it's important that he's played men's football at a young age. Brad Halliday did the same and, sometimes, that helps because you're not just throwing them in the deep end."

All of City's relegation rivals also bolstered their ranks before the window for loan signings closed.

Former City striker Shaq McDonald has joined Cheltenham from Derby, while Preston forward Jordan Hugill swapped Tranmere for fellow strugglers Hartlepool.

Tranmere drafted in Everton midfielder George Green and Carlisle swooped for Middlesbrough defender David Atkinson and Brighton winger Jeffrey Monakana.