Blue Square Premier play-off semi-final - Luton Town v York City

The Minstermen take a 1-0 advantage into today’s semi-final second leg at Luton Town (3pm) thanks to Brodie’s 89th-minute strike on Thursday.

Should they avoid defeat against the Hatters, therefore, Martin Foyle’s men will meet Oxford United or Rushden and Diamonds at Wembley on May 16 to decide who clinches promotion to the Football League.

It is a challenge that 37-goal striker Brodie is relishing and, despite a hostile full house at Kenilworth Road guaranteed, one that will not intimidate the England ‘C’ international.

Brodie said: “It will be a great occasion and a great game to play in.

“If you can’t get motivated for matches like this you shouldn’t be in the game and I am really looking forward to it.

“We have a lead to protect and, hopefully, if I get another goal, it will be just as important as the one on Thursday.

“Then maybe, we could be looking at another game at Wembley but, this time, it would be a play-off final to get into the League and we would be better equipped than we were in the FA Trophy final.”

Brodie is two goals shy of Arthur Bottom’s club record of 39 in a season and remains confident that he can get on the scoresheet today.

He said: “We rode our luck a bit during the course of the last game and they are a good side, who are very strong. In these types of game though, if you get a chance you have to take it.

“Their manager said I only had one kick and scored in the first match but I’m not too bothered if the final score’s York City 1 Luton Town 0 and every game I play in, I feel like I’m going to score.”

Brodie is also hoping his late goal will have served as a psychological blow to the Hatters going into the second leg, adding: “The timing of the goal will have hurt them a bit, especially as they had come here on the back of a 14-game unbeaten run.

“They will know they have to get at us at their place. When we went there earlier in the season, we should have had a penalty but you don’t get decisions like that at those sort of places.

“Maybe if we can keep them at bay for the first 20 minutes though, the crowd will get on their case.”

Despite Shane Blackett’s mistake that led to Brodie’s late strike at Bootham Crescent, the City striker is expecting another tough encounter against the former Peterborough defender and his fellow centre-back George Pilkington, saying: “I thought they were well organised.

“Me and Michael Rankine bullied them in the air but they read the game well on the deck. They marshalled us very well and I couldn’t get in behind them like I have been able to do against a lot of teams this season.

“They were probably two of the toughest centre-backs I have played against.”

The 22-year-old striker, who had to rush off at the final whistle on Thursday night to catch the last train to Newcastle after the delayed kick off, added that he was overwhelmed by the City fans’ support before, during and after the match.

He said: “It was a fantastic effort from the supporters. Even when we went out to warm up there were a thousand fans in the ground and it all plays a big part. It gives you an extra lift and helped us a lot. It would be great to get more people at every game.

“The flags and everything were brilliant and, at first, I didn’t know whether my goal had gone in because of all the toilet roll that was in the net but I can’t describe how it felt when I knew I had scored. The winning goal against Crewe in the FA Cup was a great feeling but the one on Thursday night bettered that.

“I thought the ball was going to beat me and the defender and it probably would have gone to their ’keeper if he hadn’t tried to head it. The ’keeper came out at first but then he stopped and that made my mind up to hit it into the bottom corner.”

Odds on City boys at Luton

YORK City are marginal favourites to edge past Luton Town in today’s Blue Square Premier play-off semi-final second leg at Kenilworth Road.

League sponsors Blue Square list the Minstermen as a 4-5 shot to reach the Wembley final on Sunday, May 16, with the Hatters narrow outsiders at 10-11.

Manager Martin Foyle’s men may lead 1-0 going into today’s away leg, but they are still third favourites to win promotion to the Football League.

City, who went into the first leg rated as 7-2 outsiders, are now 3-1, with Luton 7-4 favourites, Oxford 9-4 and Rushden & Diamonds 4-1.

The second leg 90 minute match odds have the Hatters as 7-10 favourites, with the draw at 5-2 and City at 15-4.

First leg goal hero Richard Brodie is a 6-1 shot to score the first goal of the Kenilworth Road return, with Luton’s Tom Craddock available at 7-2, Kevin Gallen 9-2 and Matthew Barnes-Homer 5-1.

The prices for City’s other strikers are 10-1 or greater – Michael Gash 10-1, Michael Rankine 11-1 and Richard Pacquette 12-1.

Oxford are 10-11 to beat Rushden in their second leg tie at the Kassam Stadium today, with the draw 12-5 and the visitors 11-4.

Following Thursday’s 1-1 draw at Nene Park, Oxford are favourites to book their place at Wembley at 1-2, with the visitors quoted at 6-4.

Oxford’s Nene Park scorer James Constable is 9-2 favourite to bag the opening goal, with strike partner Jack Midson second favourite at 5-1.

Former York City striker Craig Farrell, who joined Rushden last summer, is listed at 9-1 to be first goalscorer today.

Match facts

YORK City lost all seven of their Football League visits to Kenilworth Road (1967 to 2002), but earlier this season drew 1-1 with Neil Barrett the scorer.

The line up on October 20, 2009, was: Ingham, Purkiss, Sangare, Parslow, Carruthers, Smith (Boyes), Lawless, Barrett, Ferrell (Mackin), Rankine, Brodie.

Players to have appeared for both clubs include Reg Stockill, Jimmy Weir, Jim Goldie, Rob Matthews, Lee Nogan, Liam George and Craig Nelthorpe, while in the 1950s and 60s Sam Bartram managed both City and Town.

It happened on May 3

1952: 18-year-old Dave Dunmore made his debut and scored in a 3-0 home win over Crewe, while Billy Fenton was also on target to set a club record of 31 goals in a season.

Billy Hughes was the other marksman in front of 6,370 and City finished tenth in Divsion Three North.

1980: City finished this Fourth Division season losing 2-0 at Crewe with ’keeper Bruce Grobbelaar scoring from the penalty spot for the home side. City ended in 17th.

1985: Centre forward Warren Ward netted twice on his debut in a 3-0 victory over Rotherham at Bootham Crescent wached by 3,551. Dale Banton was also on target and City finished eighth in the Third Division (League One).

1986: Keith Walwyn, Tony Canham and Dale Banton were on the scoresheet in a 3-1 home win against Swansea. The crowd was 3,132 and City finished the campaign seventh in Division Three.

1997: A 1-1 draw against Crewe at Bootham Crescent with Mark Tinkler the scorer watched by 4,366. City finished 20th in Division Two (League One).

Compiled by David Batters

Joy for James

YORK City left-back James Meredith has won The Press Player of the Month award for April.

A man-of-the-match display during Thursday night’s play-off semi-final first leg 1-0 victory over Luton Town clinched the honours.

Meredith earned three points as our top man and also picked up the two bonus points on offer to the player who received the most votes on our website. Other points were awarded to David McGurk (two) and Richard Brodie (one).

Against Stevenage, the points were shared out between Chris Carruthers (three), Alex Lawless (two) and McGurk (one). Online poll winner was Luke Graham.

Press Player of the Year standings: Brodie 42 points, McGurk 40, Rankine 28, Ingham 23, Meredith 23, Mackin 21, Graham 20, Barrett 17, Lawless 17, Purkiss 16, Ferrell 15, Parslow 15, Sangare 14, Carruthers 12, Pitt 7, Gash 6, Smith 6, Harsley 5, Boyes 2, Clarke 2, Nelthorpe 2, Pacquette 2, Mimms 1.

Press Player of the Month for April: Meredith 12, Brodie 9, Carruthers 7, Rankine 6, Barrett 5, Pitt 4, Lawless 3, McGurk 3, Purkiss 3, Graham 2, Mackin 2.

Goals: Brodie 37, Rankine 10, Gash 7, Barrett 5, Pacquette 4, Sangare 3, Carruthers 2, Smith 2, Ferrell 1, Graham 1, Harsley 1, Lawless 1, Mackin 1, McGurk 1, Pitt 1, Purkiss 1.

Assists: Lawless 11, Brodie 8, Rankine 8, Carruthers 7, Barrett 6, Purkiss 5, Smith 5, Ferrell 4, Harsley 3, Meredith 3, Pitt 3, Sangare 3, Gash 2, McGurk 2, Parslow 2, Graham 2, Clarke 1, Ingham 1, Mackin 1, Nelthorpe 1.