McLaughlin and Blair set for York City recalls

Blair and McLaughlin have been two of City’s leading lights this season, scoring a combined total of 25 goals, but were left on the bench during Saturday’s 1-0 FA Trophy semi-final, first leg win over nine-man Luton.

Both had endured patchy runs of form but are in line for recalls at Blundell Park this evening (7.45pm).

City chief Mills said: “They’ve both done superbly well for us but I have to decide when it’s the right time to take people out of the side. They will be disappointed firstly for being left out and, secondly, for not playing in a semi-final because that hurts.

“But I want it to hurt and I want them to be professional. They are both young and with the good times come bad times, which is when you find out what type of a player and man you are.”

Mills will be forced into at least one change with Lanre Oyebanjo ruled out due to the ankle he turned at the weekend.

Top scorer Jason Walker and centre-back Chris Doig have both returned to training following their respective hamstring and groin injuries but are unlikely to feature either, while David McGurk is recovering from his throat operation.

Mills admitted that the loss of Oyebanjo was a blow, adding: “Lanre isn’t too bad but he won’t be available for tonight.

“That’s a shame because the midfield three of him, James Meredith and Scott Kerr looked as good on Saturday as it had in training and we would probably have gone that way again but I’ve now got to decide who plays there tonight.”

McLaughlin is one option while Blair could be preferred in attack to Moses Ashikodi, whose discipline on only his second start for the Minstermen at the weekend wound Mills up.

The City boss said: “I decided to go with three out-and-out strikers and I thought it worked reasonably well. Moses did okay but he has to be disciplined. Having been booked early on, it’s sometimes hard to understand the mentality of anybody who would then try to encroach at a free-kick as he did.

“That winds me up but, thankfully, it happened right in front of the dugout so I could let him know what I felt about it.

“You don’t need that though.

“Luton were trying to get him sent off from the sidelines to equal it up and, even before he went down for treatment, I’d made the decision that he was coming off.”

City lie one place and one point outside the play-offs following Saturday’s results, directly above Grimsby, who are a further three points behind.

Having already beaten the Mariners at home and in the FA Trophy at Blundell Park this season, the Minstermen will be hoping to emulate the hat-trick of victories they have already achieved against Ebbsfleet this season.

“If we win, there’s a six-point difference which is a big one at this stage of the season but, if they win, it’s all level so we must not come away from there having lost,” Mills said. “We’ve beaten them twice and there hasn’t been too many changes at both clubs since those games so we know we are capable of doing it again.”

Mills added City will not be distracted by Saturday’s FA Trophy semi-final return leg at Luton and pointed out the importance of a positive result ahead of an 11-day break from league action, during which time play-off rivals could capitalise on his team’s inactivity.

He said: “Everything else, other than this massive league game, goes out of the window. We’ve slipped out of the top five because we have succeeded in the Trophy.

“We didn’t want to do that but it won’t affect us. We know the job ahead and that, if we win our games, it’s still in our hands.”

Should City avoid defeat tonight, they will set a new club record of 11 consecutive league games unbeaten.

Starting tonight, City will play seven of their last 11 league fixtures on the road.

Mills added: “You don’t go out on to the pitch with the intention of breaking records but, if you are disciplined, hungry and professional, they can come your way and it means you are doing well. Our away form has been excellent.”