SIMON Lappin’s dead-ball deliveries are the best in the National League, according to York City boss Gary Mills.

Lappin has created three goals from corners during his eight appearances for the Minstermen this season – the latest helping put last weekend’s FA Trophy tie to bed as Sean Newton wrapped up a 3-0 triumph at Nuneaton.

The 34-year-old has Premier League pedigree, having played in the top-flight with Norwich and Mills reckons his quality is unparalleled in the highest echelon of non-League football and adds to City’s goal potential.

“We’ve got strikers who can score goals and somebody who can take set-pieces of a better quality than anybody in this league, with defenders and midfielders who have the ability to get on the end of them,” Mills pointed out.

The City boss has also shed light on his working relationship with football consultant Darren Caskey, who has become Mills’ right-hand man for a third time after the pair’s spells together at Gateshead and Wrexham.

“Darren likes to coach and I’m a man-manager,” Mills explained. “At 14, I learned what coaching was and people get obsessed with it.

“My coaching is, if people aren’t training how they play games, then I will let them know. I watch every player in training and they must do their jobs Monday to Friday to get the shirt on a Saturday.

“They all know as well that what they do in training can win them a place in the starting XI.”

Mills went on to outline the reasons for rearranging the home match with Gateshead to a week on Tuesday, arguing that with three further postponements possible, depending on City’s Trophy progress as well as Lincoln’s results in the same competition and the FA Cup, it was important to play the game at the earliest possible opportunity to avoid a potential, end-of-the-season pile-up.

“I think the league have made a mistake with scheduling because, if we draw with Brackley, then the Lincoln game (on February 28) will be off and, if Lincoln draw their Trophy game or their FA Cup match against Burnley, it will be off as well,” the City boss said. “We could have had a programme of league fixtures the Tuesday before or the Tuesday after instead to avoid those three scenarios.

“I thought it best to play Gateshead at the earliest opportunity because, if we get through to the Trophy semi-finals, we could end up with ten games in April, which is the last thing you want to happen.”

Off the field, York City Supporters’ Trust have relaunched their website at www.ycst.org.uk Online visitors can now join the Trust or make a donation, as well as keep up-to-date with general news and activities.