ONLY runaway Championship leaders Leicester City have now amassed more points during 2014 than York City from the top four English divisions.

The Minstermen’s masterful form since January 1 has seen them collect just two points fewer than Nigel Pearson’s undefeated Foxes.

Meanwhile, Wolves, Wigan and Burnley, who are mounting strong promotion challenges in their respective divisions, are all a point worse off than Nigel Worthington’s side during the first two-and-a-half months of this calendar year.

Last weekend’s 2-0 home win over Wycombe saw City move level on points with the Sky Bet League Two play-off positions having only hovered outside the relegation zone on goal difference at the end of 2103.

Plymouth’s unexpected midweek defeat of Chesterfield has since widened that gap to two points but the Minstermen can still lay an undisputed claim to being this country’s most-improved professional outfit in the course of the current campaign.

Ahead of this afternoon’s away meeting with Portsmouth, Worthington’s team have averaged 2.14 points during their 2014 fixtures in stark contrast to the 0.95 average from the 22 points collected in their opening 23 matches of the season.

It is unsurprising, given a record of nine clean sheets in the last 14 matches, that the improvement in the club’s goals conceded column has been the biggest factor behind the side’s surge up the standings this year.

City had conceded an average of 1.3 goals per game during the first half of their season but that has been slashed to 0.5 in contests since New Year’s Eve.

In comparison, the goals scored average has only increased from 1.1 per game to 1.3 during the same periods.

Only Chelsea (four), Manchester City (six) and Wolves (six) have shipped fewer league goals in 2014 than the Minstermen, who have let in seven but played more games than all three of those clubs.

While Worthington remains guarded about ninth-placed City’s play-off hopes, meanwhile, an examination of the division’s form guide since New Year’s Eve suggests that his side will climb above Oxford and Southend at least before the end of the campaign.

City have collected 16 more points than Southend over the last 14 matches and 12 more than Oxford.


An evening with York duo

JOSH CARSON and Lanre Oyebanjo will be guest speakers at the next York Minstermen meeting on Thursday night in the Pitchside Bar at Bootham Crescent.

The bar will be opening at 7pm with a questions and answers session starting at 7.30pm.

Everyone is welcome to attend the evening, although under-18s must be accompanied by an adult.


Carson on the tail of City leader

JOSH CARSON has closed the gap on The Press Player of the Year leader Keith Lowe to three points.

The Northern Ireland international was our man of the match during last weekend’s 2-1 home win over Wycombe, earning him three points towards the standings.

Will Hayhurst (two) and Lowe (one) were also rewarded with points as our second and third-highest rated players respectively.

The two Player of the Month bonus points, meanwhile, were awarded to Michael Coulson after he polled the most man-of-the-match votes from visitors to our website and followers of the @daveflettpress Twitter account.

To be in with a chance of presenting The Press Player of the Month for March with a framed photograph at Bootham Crescent, vote for your man of the match from today’s game online or by tweeting @daveflettpress.

The Press Player of the Year standings: Lowe 29 points, Carson 26, Fletcher 21, Oyebanjo 19, McGurk 18, McCombe 14, O’Neill 14, Brobbel 11, Montrose 11, Coulson 9, Jarvis 9, Parslow 8, Ingham 7, Penn 7, Pope 7, Smith 7, Davies 6, Bowman 5, Chambers 5, Clay 4, Hayhurst 2, Puri 2, Whitehouse 2, Kettings 1, Reed 1.

The Press Player of the Month for March standings: Carson 6, Lowe 6, McCombe 6, Coulson 5, Penn 5, Hayhurst 2, Davies 1, Reed 1.

Goals: Fletcher 13, Jarvis 9, Bowman 8, Carson 5, Brobbel 3, Coulson 3, McCombe 3, Own goals 2, McGurk 1, Montrose 1, O’Neill 1.

Assists: Coulson 7, Bowman 6, Carson 6, O’Neill 5, Brobbel 3, Fletcher 3, Hayhurst 3, Jarvis 3, Clay 2, McGurk 2, Oyebanjo 2, Smith 2, Cresswell 1, Davies 1, Fyfield 1, Ingham 1, Montrose 1.

Bad boys: Montrose ten yellow cards; Oyebanjo, Whitehouse both six yellow; Carson five yellow; Bowman two red, two yellow; O’Neill, Lowe, Smith all four yellow; McGurk three yellow; Cresswell one red, one yellow; Davies, Fyfield, Hayhurst, Jarvis, McCombe, Penn, Platt, Reed all two yellow; Chambers, Clay, Coulson, Parslow all one yellow.