York City boss Martin Foyle believes Fleetwood Town are one of the top three sides in the Blue Square Bet Premier.

As the Minstermen travel to Lancashire for today’s Bank Holiday Blue Square Bet Premier clash (3pm) on the back of a morale-boosting 3-0 win over Altrincham last Saturday, Foyle reckons the league new boys will pose his men a tough test.

Fleetwood went up through the Blue Square North play-offs last term and have splashed the cash in a bid to quickly ascend into the Football League. They slipped up 1-0 at Southport at the weekend, but Foyle is sure his revitalised side face a difficult afternoon.

“We are going to one of the top three sides for me,” he said. “We know it is going to be a very hard game. They are a big side. One or two tired towards the end of Saturday’s game, so I think I have got to use the squad wisely.”

Foyle was delighted with City’s first three-point haul of the season and said the release of tension which followed Michael Rankine’s super strike for the first goal visibly eased the pressure on his team.

He added: “We knew Altrincham were going to come with a very defensive formation. If that’s the way they want to play, to scrounge a point, then we have to break them down.

“That’s what I have said in the last two or three games. We have worked hard, the lads have been very honest in their performances and it was just that first goal.

“When we scored the first goal you could actually see us relax. When we scored the first, and when the second went in, I saw the old players coming back to what they are.

“It was a monkey off our backs and a worthy three points.”

Richard Brodie got off the mark for the season, from the penalty spot and, along with Rankine’s brace, Foyle was delighted his strikers had weighed in.

“I have been a striker and, believe me, it’s a lonely life,” the City boss said. “When you are scoring, everyone wants to know you and when you don’t score it’s amazing how many people turn their back on you.

“I have put my arm round him (Brodie), kept him going, kept him buoyant but he is the one that’s got to deliver.

“I can give him all the experience that I have got, but he is the one who has got to go out on the pitch and perform.”

Foyle continued: “Michael has done himself plenty of favours. It was a good goal the first one, a fantastic ball in and he has spun off and finished with his left foot and you could see the old Michael Rankine return.

“Strikers live on goals but I thought we defended well, the keeper was superb, we looked organised and that’s the way we need to be – especially going to Fleetwood because we are going to have a very hard game.”


Fleetwood facts

There have been no previous meetings between Fleetwood Town and York City.

It happened on August 30.

1947: A 6-0 home win over Halifax Town with four goals from Alf Patrick and two from Matt Patrick. The crowd was 9,515.

1958: City went top of Division Four following a 4-0 victory over Bradford Park Avenue at Bootham Crescent watched by 8,497. The marksmen were Terry Farmer (2), Norman Wilkinson and Peter Wragg.

1969: A 3-0 home win over Swansea Town sent City top of the Fourth Division. The scorers were Kevin McMahon (2) and Paul Aimson. The attendance was 5,191.

1975: Chris Jones was the marksman in a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Bolton Wanderers in Division Two (Championship) watched by 5,640.

1997: Jonathan Greening scored his first goal for the club in a 2-1 home win over Gillingham. Rodney Rowe was the other man on target and the crowd for this Second Division (League Two) encounter was 2,853.

Compiled by David Batters