YORK City manager Martin Foyle will not shell out a transfer fee for Gainsborough Trinity winger Adam Smith.

Smith impressed during a one-month loan spell with the Minstermen, scoring two goals and picking up a couple of man-of-the-match awards in his seven appearances.

City boss Foyle was ready to hand him a permanent contract at KitKat Crescent, but he is not prepared to offer money for the former Chesterfield player.

Foyle feels the Lincolnshire part-timers have reneged on a gentleman’s agreement to release Smith from his contract should a professional club become interested in his services.

The Minstermen chief also added that the club did not boast the funds to meet Trinity’s asking price in any case.

He said: “I’d desperately like to take him on until the end of the season and perhaps beyond that, but it’s up to Adam whether he can come to some agreement.

“We can’t afford to pay a transfer fee, which they are asking for. They are playing games, but we won’t go there.”

Meanwhile, City were denied the chance to play a practice match on Saturday with the KitKat Crescent pitch frozen, but Foyle’s new assistant Andy Porter has still been able to make his presence felt since the Minstermen’s last first-team outing.

Foyle said: “Andy’s got into the swing of things quickly and we are in a position now where we can’t be nice.

“We’ve got to get in amongst them and their standards have to be as high as ours, but there’s a fair bit of work to be done on the training ground.”

City reserves’ totesport.com League fixture at home to Hartlepool next Tuesday has been postponed and a new date will be announced shortly.