THE curtain has not yet come down on Dan Parslow’s York City career despite manager Russ Wilcox allowing the long-serving utility man to stay on loan at Grimsby until the end of the season.

Parslow has played 17 games for the Mariners this term having first been farmed out to Blundell Park in September.

He returned to Bootham Crescent briefly following Wilcox’s appointment as City boss in mid-October but has still not made a senior appearance for his parent club since suffering cruciate ligament damage 14 months ago.

Parslow joined the Minstermen in August 2006 from Cardiff and has made 316 appearances for the club, playing a crucial role in promotion to the Football League and survival during that first campaign back.

City chief Wilcox has now announced that a decision on whether he plays for the club again will not be made until the end of the season.

“Dan’s going to sign on loan with Grimsby until the end of the season,” the City boss revealed. “I think that suits all parties, but it’s important we monitor his situation.

“At the moment, we are going quite well and, fingers crossed, that continues. He wants to play first-team football and is getting that at the moment, so I don’t want to bring him back to sit on the bench or in the stands.

“He has six months left on his contract here, but this does not mean he will be ending his association with York City. We will make a decision on that in the summer.”

Wilcox added that he will consider how to proceed with Stephane Zubar, whose loan spell from Bournemouth has expired, when the Guadeloupe international’s four-match ban for a second red card of the season expires at the end of the month.

“There’s no rush with Stephane,” Wilcox reasoned. “We will be seeing where we are once he has served his ban.”

But Carlton Morris has extended his loan spell from Norwich City despite only playing 66 minutes of football during four substitute outings in his first month at Bootham Crescent, with Wilcox delighted to retain the 19-year-old striker’s services, saying: “He’s not made his full debut for us yet but I think everybody has seen during the minutes he has played that he has got something.

“He’s enjoying his time with us and I’m really pleased he’s happy to stay and the loan has been extended. He’s got a really good attitude and temperament and is willing to listen and learn.

“He’s developing mentally and physically but it’s great for him to come out of his parent club and experience real football where every point matters. He’s intelligent and knows he’s still at a very early stage in his professional career but he’s building up his CV by being here and getting appearances.”

Wilcox stressed that he regards Morris as a strong contender for Wes Fletcher and Jake Hyde’s starting places up front, pointing out: “He is challenging the front two and, by him just being here, I think that’s got more out of them.

“They know they have to work that bit harder and that pressure means they have to perform to their best.”

City are still waiting to hear whether Diego De Girolamo’s loan stay from Sheffield United can be renewed and, with Norwich’s managerial position also uncertain following the departure of Neil Adams, Wilcox is looking around at striking alternatives should the next Canaries chief want England under-19 international Morris back at Carrow Road.

“They can recall him at any time so it’s important for us to have our finger on the pulse again if that does happen,” the Minstermen boss explained.

Wilcox, meanwhile, hailed Luke Summerfield’s nomination for the Sky Bet League Two Player of the Month award as an inspiration for anybody currently out of the side.

The 27-year-old midfielder only reclaimed his starting place during the final fixture in November after ten matches without a first-team start, including the first eight fixtures of Wilcox’s reign.

On Summerfield’s shortlisting for the accolade, the City boss said: “It’s great for Luke and also for the team because it means we are performing well.

“People have taken notice of our last four games and he has played a big role in that with his two goals. His overall performances in games have been outstanding too, along with the rest of the team.

“He is a massive example – the biggest we have got - for players who are on the bench or not in the squad that, if you keep doing your work, opportunities arise in different ways and we’ve seen that with suspensions and injury in the last three games.”