Title-chasing York City frozen out in Blue Square Premier title fight (From York Press)

Title-chasing York City frozen out in Blue Square Premier title fight

10:17am Tuesday 5th January 2010

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YORK City manager Martin Foyle fears the big freeze might have handed Stevenage Borough an advantage in the fight for promotion from the Blue Square Premier.

The Hertfordshire outfit were the only top-four side able to avoid postponements and play three league games during the Christmas and New Year programme.

Graham Westley’s men capitalised by taking over from Oxford as league leaders and Foyle, whose side are now eight points behind last season’s FA Trophy winners with two games in hand, also feels beating the weather now could assist Stevenage’s efforts later in the season.

Having learned that his team’s trip to Altrincham had been called off for a second time in the space of a week, the City chief said: “Altrincham hadn’t played for three weeks and I rearranged that game deliberately because I felt they would be lacking match fitness and I also wanted to get straight back into league action after Stoke.

“The fixture situation worries me because they can pile up and Stevenage must be the only club smiling at the moment.

“They have played 27 games, gone top of the league and will now be able to rest up at the right times.”

Centre-back David McGurk, meanwhile, could be rested for Saturday’s FA Trophy second round tie at Newport County.

McGurk suffered a calf injury during the 3-1 FA Cup defeat to Stoke and is unlikely to be risked in Wales.

City boss Foyle added: “Dave is professional and came off at the right time. It’s not as bad as we thought but he will be touch and go for Saturday.”

Foyle also confirmed that he is still to receive an inquiry about 25-goal striker Richard Brodie despite the reopening of the transfer window last week.

He said: “I haven’t had any phone calls at all, which is surprising really because it’s January 5 now and, if I wanted to sign Richard Brodie, I would have been knocking the door down on New Year’s Day.

“At the moment, hand on heart, there hasn’t been anything and we will carry on as normal until we hear something else.”

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