YORK City will need to beat the oldest goalkeeper in the Conference tonight if they are to go top of the table.

Kevin Poole, who turned 43 last month, answered an emergency call from Burton Albion boss Nigel Clough just 48 hours before the start of the season and has stayed between the sticks ever since.

City need a victory to usurp Weymouth at the summit of the Conference for at least 19 hours but Poole will be hoping to use all of his 25 years of experience in the game to keep out Billy McEwan's men.

The 5ft 11in stopper began his career in 1981 at Aston Villa when the Birmingham club had just been crowned champions, were a year away from lifting the European Cup and also had Jimmy Rimmer and Nigel Spink as senior 'keepers.

He left Villa in 1987 for Middlesbrough after a loan spell with Northampton and went on to enjoy service at Hartlepool, Leicester, Birmingham and Bolton, where he turned out in the Premiership last year at the age of 41.

Poole also made seven appearances for Championship outfit Derby County last season but thought he had hung up his gloves when he accepted a post to become an academy coach at Birmingham City.

He was pressed into action again, however, when the call came from Clough on the eve of the new Conference season.

The Brewers released last season's number one Saul Deeney in the summer and he is now playing for Notts County.

Clough had lined up a season-long loan deal with Crewe for highly-rated youngster Stuart Tomlinson but, when the Railwaymen were unable to find another goalkeeper as cover, Burton were left without a 'keeper two days before their opening day trip to Morecambe.

Poole kept a clean sheet in that match during an impressive 1-0 win and has carried on in the role during a 1-1 draw against Kidderminster and an unlucky 2-1 home defeat against Oxford.

Burton hit the crossbar three times and were also had strong penalty claims rejected by referee Shaun Procter-Green in that match, which was described by home observers as the best witnessed by Brewers fans in five seasons of Conference football.

Prolific non-League marksman Daryl Clare has scored in both Burton's last two games and is expected to be partnered in attack by Shaun Harrad, as the visitors switch to a conventional 4-4-2 formation.

Andy Ducros played in a withdrawn role behind Clare in the Oxford defeat but is likely to return to his preferred left-wing role with ex-Scarborough player Keith Gilroy likely to miss out.

Former City loan striker Jon Shaw is expected to be on the bench and is understood to be available for a loan move to another Conference club.

Midfielder Chris Hall, who scored a wonder goal to clinch a 1-0 victory for Burton in the corresponding fixture last season, could return to the squad but is unlikely to start after only just recovering from an ankle injury.

Burton still operate on a part-time basis, training Monday morning, Tuesday night and Thursday morning but Clough gave his players a further day off at the start of this week after their exertions against Oxford.