GOALKEEPER Michael Ingham has climbed up to fourth position in The Press Player of the Year standings after Tuesday’s man-of-the-match performance during the 1-0 victory at Kidderminster.

As a result Ingham collected three points to add to his tally and now trails third-placed Michael Rankine by a point in the chase to close the gap on long-time top two David McGurk and Richard Brodie.

Paul Harsley (two points) and Neil Barrett (one) were also recognised for their efforts at Aggborough as our second and third-highest rated players.

Former Northern Ireland international Ingham also topped our man-of-the-match internet poll to receive the two bonus points on offer towards the Player of the Month contest, currently headed by Courtney Pitt.

To be in with a chance of presenting the next Player of the Month on the pitch at a City home game, register your man-of-the-match vote by visiting yorkpress.co.uk The Press Player of the Year standings: McGurk 37 points, Brodie 31, Rankine 23, Ingham 22, Mackin 21, Graham 17, Ferrell 15, Lawless 15, Parslow 15, Barrett 14, Meredith 14, Sangare 14, Purkiss 13, Gash 6, Smith 6, Carruthers 5, Pitt 4, Boyes 2, Harsley 2, Nelthorpe 2, Pacquette 2, Clarke 1, Mimms 1.

The Press Player of the Month for March latest standings: Pitt 10 points, Ingham 7, Graham 5, Mackin 5, Barrett 4, McGurk 3, Rankine 3, Harsley 2, Pacquette 2, Sangare 2, Smith 2, Brodie 1, Clarke 1, Meredith 1.

Goals: Brodie 27, Rankine 7, Gash 6, Barrett 4, Pacquette 4, Sangare 3, Carruthers 2, Smith 2, Ferrell 1, Lawless 1, Mackin 1, Pitt 1, Purkiss 1.

Assists: Lawless 9, Brodie 7, Rankine 6, Smith 5, Barrett 4, Carruthers 4, Ferrell 4, Purkiss 4, Meredith 3, Sangare 3, McGurk 2, Parslow 2, Clarke 1, Gash 1, Graham 1, Harsley 1, Ingham 1, Mackin 1, Nelthorpe 1.

Bad boys: Brodie 12 yellow cards, 1 red; Mackin 10 yellow; Ferrell 8 yellow; Meredith 1 red, 6 yellow; Barrett, McGurk both 5 yellow; Ingham, Lawless both 4 yellow; Carruthers, Rankine, Sangare, Smith all 3 yellow; Gash, Graham both 2 yellow; Pacquette 1 red; Nelthorpe, Parslow both 1 yellow.

Doc Ron in Hawaii oh no

IMAGINE waiting 40 years and trekking 12,000 miles to be reunited with your first true love only to be told your journey had been futile.

That was the fate that befell life-time York City fan Dr Ron Wagner-Wright last weekend, having endured two days of travelling from his Hawaii home to catch his boyhood heroes in action for the first time since the 1960s before learning that the game against AFC Wimbledon had been called off due to a waterlogged pitch at Bootham Crescent.

Acomb-born Ron, who has been completely blind since early adulthood, took two aeroplanes and a train, along with his guide dog McGarrett, in a pilgrimage to his home city, flying from Honolulu to Seattle and then on to London before arriving at York railway station in time for the important Dons clash.

A persistent downpour on Saturday morning, though, washed away the former Hob Manor School pupil’s hopes of cheering on the Minstermen after a four-decade long absence.

His trans-Atlantic trip probably represents the biggest wasted sporting journey since England ventured Down Under for the terrible 2006/7 Ashes series.

But, undeterred, the 60-year-old retired drug analysis medic is still hoping to attend another City match this season – at Wembley in May’s Blue Square Premier play-off final.

“I was really bummed to travel from Honolulu to York only for the game to be cancelled,” said Wagner-Wright, whose Yorkshire dialect is understandably punctuated with the odd Americanism these days, having spent two-thirds of his life in the States.

“All I can say is thank the Lord for planes because I didn’t have to sail for nine months like Captain Cook. Seriously, if the club can get back to Wembley again, I would be looking to try to get over for that.

“I wanted to go to the FA Trophy final last season but had a prior engagement in Canada that I couldn’t cancel. My greatest wish for the club is to get back into the Football League and, if they reach the play-off final, I will definitely look to go if it’s possible in terms of the travelling involved.

“It takes two days because there are no direct flights from Hawaii to England and that’s why I don’t come every weekend.”

Wagner-Wright, who was also the match-ball sponsor for last Saturday’s rained-off match, was first taken to a City game in 1957 and admits to being hooked ever since.

He was partially-sighted as a child with blindness hereditary in his family and, at 18, decided to further his education in Boston because the USA’s Braille provisions were greater than in this country.

He met his Hawaii-born wife while at university and the couple settled on the Pacific island famous for shirts lairier than the Minstermen’s John Batchelor-inspired chequered-flag kit.

Understandably, news from North Yorkshire was scarce with Wagner-Wright relying for years on the odd Manchester-printed Guardian, shipped in from Canada and read by his wife, to get the occasional City result and league table.

The internet, however, has transformed his ability to follow his team.

“I was literally in the dark for years when it came to York City news but now I have a computer programme that enables text to be read out to me,” he explained.

“I log on to the York Press website all the time and it is an absolutely amazing service for me – a real gift and the best thing since sliced bread for a blind person.

“I might live in Hawaii 12,000 miles away but I can now read a match report on The Press website as soon as the game has finished.

“It’s great keeping in touch with the news about what the manager is thinking, who’s being transferred and who’s been dropped. I can follow the team like a true supporter now.”

Wagner-Wright is president of the Guide Dog Foundation in the US for the Pacific Rim, with his job to facilitate donations and sponsorship as each canine carer costs £60,000, including their training expenses in rabies-free countries like New Zealand and Australia.

The wife of Jack Lord, who played Steve McGarrett in the classic 1970s’ Hawaii Five-O television series, bought his dog for him. The dog was called McGarrett.

And should City negotiate their way to Wembley in May, the faithful Labrador could be making a return journey to the UK.

“McGarrett goes everywhere with me,” he said. “He is my eyes and I would not have been able to get to York without him.”