Form on York City’s side as play-offs loom

It is Southend, meanwhile, who look like the team to avoid for Nigel Worthington's men with the Shrimpers having only collected one point fewer than City over the last eight games.

The Minstermen can still face Fleetwood, Burton or Southend in the end-of-season promotion shoot-out ahead of this afternoon's trip to title hopefuls Scunthorpe.

Of their three potential opponents, Southend are the only side to boast an unbeaten record against their fellow play-off qualifiers prior to their home meeting with Burton today.

The Essex club, unlike their rivals, also have no injury or suspension concerns and, like the Brewers, will be resting players for their Roots Hall dead rubber.

In striker Barry Corr, the Blues possess the player who has netted most times in matches between the clubs guaranteed to finish between fourth and seventh in the division.

Corr, City striker Michael Coulson and Fleetwood midfielder Antoni Sarcevic, meanwhile, are the leading marksmen among the quartet of clubs over the last eight games, hitting the target four times apiece.

Ex-Crewe midfielder Sarcevic (14) and Corr (12) are their respective team's top scorers this season - the latter jointly with winger Kevan Hurst.

The Minstermen, of course, will be without Wes Fletcher, who remains at the summit of the Bootham Crescent scoring charts with 13, while Burton's 14-goal forward Billy Kee has notched just once in his side's last eight outings.

Like City, who also lost Josh Carson to cruciate damage in March having been deprived of utility man Dan Parslow with the same injury since November, Fleetwood and Burton will both be missing key men going into the play-offs.

The Cod Army will be without holding midfielder Alan Goodall through suspension for the first leg, semi-final match after his red card against Wycombe on Easter Monday.

Former on-loan City left-back Charlie Taylor also remains doubtful with the ankle injury that has kept him sidelined for the last three fixtures and striker Bobby Grant is not expected to feature again this season due to knee problems.

At Burton, first-choice left-back Damien McCrory and winger Jimmy Phillips have both been ruled out until next season with knee trouble.

Centre-back Shane Cansdell-Sherriff, meanwhile, will only return from a heel injury for the second leg of the semi-finals at the earliest, although striker Adam McGurk hopes to be fit for next weekend after missing three weeks with a groin strain.

If City finish seventh tomorrow, they will host Fleetwood next Saturday for a 7.30pm kick off and travel to the Lancashire coast to face the Cod Army on Friday, May 16 for the deciding leg, kick-off 7.45pm.

Alternatively, if the Minstermen end the campaign fifth or sixth, they could also play Burton or Southend, with the order of home and away legs decided by finishing positions, on Sunday, May 11 and Saturday, May 17, with both games kicking off at noon.

NICK Pope became the third successive City player to miss out on a League Two Player of the Month award after making the shortlist of four candidates.

The on-loan Charlton shot-stopper missed out to Fleetwood midfielder Josh Morris for the April prize with Keith Lowe and Michael Coulson also pipped to the February and March accolades respectively.

No City player, meanwhile, made the PFA League Two Team of the Year despite the Bootham Crecsent outfit having collected seven more points than any other team in the division during a terrific 2014.

Minstermen chief Nigel Worthington is not too perturbed about his players been overlooked for personal honours, though, saying: "I don't live or die by those selections.

"I know what I have got here player wise and who performs to a good level on a regular basis. That's more important to me than any individual getting nominated for the League Two Team of the Year or a Player of the Month prize.

"All that matters is that I know exactly where my players are as far as performance levels are concerned because that's what I live off."