1 Careful consideration will be given to who replaces Simon Lappin

Ex-Premier League player Lappin has been the heartbeat of the City side during their upturn in form under Gary Mills. His knowledge of the game, ability to pick and deliver the right passes, positional discipline and quality from set-pieces have all provided a platform for the Minstermen to take control of matches.

While the tide might have been turning prior to his 55th-minute injury, with Maidstone having already equalised as Lappin and his team-mates were pushed further back towards their own goal, it was noticeable, nevertheless, that City did not have anybody in the middle of the park to slow the tempo of the match and put their foot on the ball, in the manner of the former Scotland under-21 International, when the match developed into a more frantic affair. That will have given the heedful Mills food for thought.

Such is the modest size of City’s squad now that each loss will be keenly felt, but coping with the absence of key men is something Mills has encountered and combatted in the past. Back in 2012, as his Minstermen team eyed up a promotion and FA Trophy double, midfield maestro Scott Kerr’s season came to a premature end due to cruciate knee ligament damage.

Lappin’s potential blow has come a month earlier but, if the damage is serious as feared, Mills will be looking for a contingency plan with his players battling on two fronts again. Five years ago, Dan Parslow provided the solution, showing the kind of positional intelligence that made him an ideal deputy for Kerr.

The former Welsh under-21 international, currently operating on the left side of a back three, could be the answer again, especially if Mills elects to revert back to a three-man midfield. Simon Heslop switched back to the centre after Lappin limped out of the action but, if City are going to prioritise ball retention in that area of the field, might not be a natural like-for-like replacement.

If Mills is looking for the latter, then he might be best advised returning to a player he hasn’t trusted in a league match since the New Year’s Day home defeat to bottom-of-the-table North Ferriby. Question marks seem to have arisen over Adriano Moke’s reliability but, as he illustrated in the early outings of his second spell at the club, when focussed, he is capable of distributing sensibly and controlling the tempo of the game.

With a trip to his former club Boreham Wood next up, the time might just be right for Moke to be given another chance in the starting XI.

York Press: 2 The crowd size suggested York City supporters are beginning to believe again

An attendance almost 500 up on this season’s average, coupled with a spectacular flag display in the David Longhurst Stand, suggested that a little bit of pride in their club has been restored amongst City supporters. Following Sean Newton’s dramatic stoppage-time winner in the last home game against Barrow and the club’s subsequent march into the last eight of the FA Trophy, there was a genuine feel-good factor at the start of this latest Bootham Crescent contest.

That sensation was enhanced when City powered in front within three minutes of the kick off and lasted right up to half time as the hosts played their opponents off the park. The second period was not as warmly received but, hopefully, all those of a Minstermen persuasion, who were present at the weekend, will remember the entertainment of the opening 45 minutes and offer the same level of support for the crucial remaining home fixtures.

York Press: 3 A win would have been very welcome, but it was vital to avoid defeat

Like any other fixture that pits two teams in a relegation battle together, the game was built up as a vital six-pointer, with an enlarged emphasis assigned to its outcome. In reality, such matches are only really of greater significance if the higher-placed team wins.

As it happened, a draw moved City a point closer to a position of safety with 15 games to play and left them still within one win of climbing above Maidstone with a game in hand. For that reason, the flurry of late away corners and throw-ins that were repelled should prove of greater importance come the final reckoning than Reece Prestedge’s 47th-minute equaliser.

York Press: 4 City must carry their free-scoring Trophy form into league games

Aside from the home setback against North Ferriby, the Minstermen’s improved consistency in performance dates back to the unfortunate 1-0 defeat at Tranmere. But, despite the plaudits the team have received during that time, only seven goals have been scored in eight league fixtures, compared to the eight that have been plundered in three Trophy ties.

To place that in some form of context, fellow bottom-four teams Guiseley, Southport and shot-shy Ferriby have managed ten, nine and seven goals respectively during their last eight matches. City cannot carry on letting teams off the hook, as they did in the first half against Maidstone.

York Press: 5 Games against fellow relegation candidates are rarely the easiest

It is telling that both North Ferriby and Maidstone have given City more problems than the likes of promotion-hopefuls Tranmere, Dover, Barrow and Aldershot in recent times. This weekend’s hosts Boreham Wood must not be underestimated but, 14 points adrift of the play-offs and 12 above the drop zone, the Hertfordshire outfit might not quite have the same fire in their bellies as teams who look supposedly weaker given their league standings, but are fighting for their lives.