YORK City manager Martin Foyle has insisted his team will not play for a draw in Monday’s Blue Square Premier play-off semi-final second leg at Luton.

Richard Brodie’s 89th-minute goal on Thursday means the Minstermen will take a 1-0 lead to Kenilworth Road. But Foyle believes it would be dangerous to prioritise defending that advantage.

He said: “I never play that way because it is hard to get out of that negative mentality if you concede a goal and we will go there and play our normal game. It’s nip and tuck now.

“I know they will come at us and I know we are capable of scoring a goal. It’s just hard to predict whether they will go for it early on or be patient and have a big go at it later on. But we can’t worry about what they will do. We can only concentrate on ourselves and we are looking forward to the game.”

Foyle admitted, however, that had Luton scored such a late goal his team would have been deflated.

He said: “It would have put us on a downer because they played very well. I saw that (Luton manager) Richard Money called the game a great advert for Conference football and I would agree with that. Both sides were giving everything, rode their luck and there were chances and good saves at both ends.”

Foyle added that he has fitness concerns over two of his players ahead of Monday’s match but did not want to reveal their identity, saying: “We have got a couple of knocks and one is worse than we thought. We will just have to monitor the situation over the next 48 hours.”

With the away goal rule not applying, should the aggregate score be level at the end of 90 minutes on Monday, extra-time will be played and, if the sides still cannot be separated, a penalty shoot-out would decide which club goes on to the play-off final at Wembley on May 16.

Foyle has five players lined up for that responsibility, but added form and substitutions could change his plans.

The City chief will also conduct a penalty-taking session in training despite admitting it can be a futile exercise.

He said: “You can’t replicate that scenario, but we will have a little go. I remember not practising at Port Vale and going on to win on penalties.

“Even I can score them in training, but it’s a lot different taking one in a game and in a shoot-out. We have five in mind to take them, but you don’t know what substitutes you will have to make and you usually want the players who have done well to get on the ball in that situation.”

Penalty specialist Paul Harsley failed to make the bench in Thursday’s first leg, but could come into the reckoning depending on City’s injury doubts.

Foyle also confessed choosing the make-up of his bench is difficult.

“Choosing substitutes is very hard,” he said. “I went with a ’keeper on Thursday even though I haven’t done all season but you have to cover yourself in games like these.

“I’d like to see seven players on the bench at this level so you can keep everybody happy in the squad.”

Left-back James Meredith was named the sponsors’ and Press man of the match in Thursday’s first leg and Foyle is hoping the Australian defender can shackle Luton danger man Claude Gnakpa just as effectively again.

He added: “James Meredith had a big job to do on Thursday. He’s done it previously and it was a good individual battle.

“Gnakpa got down the sides a few times and ‘Mes’ got back to put some good tackles in. David McGurk was also on the top of his game alongside Luke Graham and Levi Mackin was a good defensive marshal for the other three players in midfield.”

Shrewsbury-based referee Rob Lewis, who has officiated in the middle at Championship level, will take charge at Kenilworth Road on Monday.