YORK City will be looking to breach the National League’s meanest defence when they arrive at Tranmere.

The third-placed Prenton Park outfit, who lie just two points behind table-toppers Lincoln, have only conceded 16 times in their 23 matches this term, which is two more than the next-best record, belonging to Boreham Wood.

Tuesday night’s 1-0 victory at Gateshead saw Rovers keep their 11th clean sheet of the season and the Wirral side are not shabby at the other end of the pitch either, with Andy Cook (12) and James Norwood (eight) having plundered a combined haul of 20 goals already this campaign.

Cook has failed to notch, however, in his last three outings and, if he doesn’t get on the scoresheet against the Minstermen, it will represent his biggest barren spell in the National League during the last two seasons, having hit the target 24 times for former club Barrow during 2015/16.

The 26-year-old, 6ft marksman also missed a penalty in Saturday’s 2-1 home triumph over Torquay.

Ex-Forest Green forward Norwood’s last five outings, meanwhile, have been from the bench and he hasn’t made a starting XI since October 1, with former Shrewsbury striker Andy Mangan preferred in attack.

But Tranmere’s home record of 25 points from a possible 33 remains the division’s second-best behind Barrow – the only side yet to suffer defeat on their own soil this season.

Rovers’ two home losses have both been 1-0 reverses against table-toppers Lincoln and tenth-placed Gateshead.

Former Fleetwood chief Micky Mellon has now been in charge for ten games and his side are unbeaten during the last eight of those matches, including six wins.

A visiting Chester team and hosts Forest Green are the only teams to take a point off Rovers during that run following 2-2 draws, while top-ten teams Dover (4-1) and Gateshead (1-0) have been seen off in the same period.

Attacker Connor Jennings and midfielder Steven Jennings are Tranmere’s only current absentees with knee injuries.

The former, who played for City boss Gary Mills at Wrexham, has been sidelined since September, while his namesake has been out for more than a month and undergone surgery.

Full-backs Lee Vaughan and Liam Ridehalgh are available again after missing the midweek game due to knocks.

Tranmere (probable): Davies, Vaughan, Sutton, McNulty, Ridehalgh, Maynard, Harris, Kirby, Tollitt, Mangan, Cook.