DISPIRITED Telford United will travel to York City suffering their worst form of the season ahead of tomorrow’s FA Trophy semi-final, second leg.

Tuesday night’s 2-0 Blue Square North defeat at relegation-threatened Blyth Spartans meant the Bucks have lost their last three matches after going down to Vauxhall Motors and the Minstermen by the same score.

The fourth-placed Shropshire side now lie 12 points behind leaders Gateshead, meaning dreams of an automatic promotion and Wembley double now look remote.

Ahead of attempting to claw back a two-goal deficit at KitKat Crescent, manager Rob Smith has admitted feeling at his lowest ebb during three years at the helm.

The former Redditch United boss is unlikely to have any fit strikers at his disposal for the crucial second leg clash with Danny Carey-Bertram (hamstring) and Andy Brown (Achilles) still struggling with injury, Terry Fearns serving a club suspension and Mark Danks cup-tied.

A red card for midfielder Martyn Naylor at Blyth also means he will be missing tomorrow, along with the injured Jamie Vermiglio and cup-tied trio Phil Trainer, Emeke Nwadike and Danny Edwards.

Right-back Lee Vaughan will return after a three-match ban that has coincided with the losing streak while Brown may have to play through the pain barrier and partner left-winger Luke Moore in attack.

That would still leave Telford without eight men however and, following the Blyth defeat, Smith confessed: “This has been a horrendous three weeks for me personally – and it’s probably the lowest I’ve felt in all my time at the club.”

Chairman Lee Carter has also urged supporters to stay united and stop the “in-fighting” that is threatening to derail the Bucks’ season.

Speaking on the club’s official website after the City defeat, Carter said: “We have come so far and it just feels like everyone is holding their hands up and surrendering. We are going to fight through this though.

“There is no more time for chins on floors, excuses or in-fighting, we have just got to roll our sleeves up and get on with the job and see where that takes us.

“Carrying on as we are will just lead to one big regret and could tear the club apart.

“Telford divided will not win a bean. Telford united still have every chance of making it a season to remember.”

Danks was used as a lone striker at Blyth but will drop out of the starting line-up, along with Trainer and Nwadike, while centre-back Indy Khela and midfielder Liam Blakeman should return.

Despite the Minstermen being heavy favourites to reach Wembley, Telford have overturned an identical deficit before to claim their place in an FA Trophy final.

In 1983, the Bucks trailed Harrow Borough after a disappointing 2-0 home defeat. They even conceded another goal in the early stages of the return leg before roaring back to claim a 5-3 aggregate victory, going on to beat Northwich in the final.


Match facts

THIS will be the third semi-final staged at City’s ground in a major cup competition.

Along with last season’s FA Trophy second leg encounter against Torquay United, the club appeared in the League North War Cup semi-final in 1942/3. They were paired against Sheffield Wednesday at that stage and lost the first leg at Hillsborough 3-0 in front of 35,253.

The second leg at Bootham Crescent on April 24, 1943 attracted 16,350 which was City’s biggest home war-time crowd. The match ended 1-1 with George Lee scoring from the penalty spot.

It happened on March 24

1953: A 3-0 win at Rochdale with Billy Fenton (2) and Billy Hughes on the scoresheet. City were eighth in Division Three North.

1959: In a top of the table Fourth Division encounter at Bootham Crescent, City and Coventry drew 0-0 watched by 8,684.

1987: Tony Canham was the marksman in a 1-1 home draw against Bristol City. York were in the bottom half of Division Three (League One) and the crowd was 2,874.

1998: Fulham won 1-0 at Bootham Crescent in front of 4,871 and City were 15th in Division Two (League One).

2000: Mark Bower and Barry Conlon were the marksmen in a 2-0 home win over Lincoln City and were in the lower reaches of Division Three (League Two). The attendance was 2,449.

Compiled by David Batters