MANSFIELD Town will play host to York City today having won only one of their last ten games.

The Stags will also be without centre-back Richie Sutton, who is suspended after being sent off during the team’s last outing – a 3-1 defeat at Southport.

Sutton incurred a one-match ban for two cautions so will be available for the return fixture with City on New Year’s Day, but his place is expected to be filled by 30-year-old former Nottingham Forest and Notts County centre-back John Thompson at Field Mill.

Other than that enforced change, manager Paul Cox is expected to keep faith with the side that started at Southport.

On-loan Oxford striker Matt Green, therefore, will be relied upon to provide the ammunition in attack, having netted 14 times this season despite being kept off the scoresheet in five of his last six league outings.

Cox has a fully-fit squad to choose from with Joe Kendrick back in training following a back problem.

Mansfield have failed to reach the play-offs in the three seasons they have been plying their trade in Conference football and currently sit tenth in this term’s standings.

Their only victory in ten matches came during a 4-1 home triumph over Braintree on December 3 and, in that time, they have also exited the FA Cup and FA Trophy at the hands of Fleetwood and Droylsden respectively.

Mansfield are draw specialists, however, with Stockport the only side to have shared the Blue Square Bet Premier spoils on more occasions.

The Hatters have 11 draws to their name, while Mansfield boast ten.

At home, the Stags have also only been defeated by top-seven sides Southport (1-3), Cambridge (1-2) and Kidderminster (0-3).

That Kidderminster defeat, meanwhile, represents the only occasion Mansfield have failed to score at home in 13 fixtures this season and only the Minstermen (30), Kidderminster (25) and Luton (24) have netted more times than the 23 occasions in which Cox’s men have hit the target on their own soil in 2011/12.

Team (probable): Marriott, O’Neill, Thompson, Dempster, Freeman, Briscoe, Murray, Howell, Meikle, Green, Dyer.

match facts

City have made three Conference visits to Field Mill winning once and losing twice.

They lost 1-0 in 2008/9, while a Courtney Pitt goal earned all three points in 2009/10.

Last term they went down 5-0 in a game which marked the end of Martin Foyle’s tenure as manager. The line-up on September 21, 2010 was: Ingham, Courtney, McGurk, Parslow, Meredith, Till (Gash), Lawless, Barrett, J Smith, Rankine, Constantine (McDermott).

The club made 34 Football League trips to Mansfield between 1933 and 2003, winning nine times and drawing six.

Billy McEwan manged both clubs in recent years, while player links include goalkeepers Harold Searson, Graham Brown and Bobby Mimms, pictured, along with long-time City stalwart Tom Lockie. Others are: Jimmy Weir, Ian McDonald, Kevin Randall, Gary Ford, Brian Pollard, Luke Graham, Adam Smith and Chris Smith.

It happened on December 26

1936: Halifax Town were beaten at Bootham Crescent 4-0 and on the scoresheet were Alf Agar, Jimmy Hughes, Albert Thompson and Peter Spooner.

1938: Bob Mortimer (2), Len Milner and George Lee were the scorers in a 4-1 home victory over Crewe Alexandra watched by 8,182. The following day City crashed to an 8-2 defeat in the return fixture at Gresty Road.

1952: A Bootham Crescent attendance of 11,380 saw Tranmere Rovers beaten 2-0 and City were third in Division Three North. On the score-sheet were Steve Griffiths (penalty) and Billy Fenton.

1958: City were in the top four of the Fourth Division following a 1-0 home victory over Barrow watched by the biggest home crowd of the season – 10,382. Ernie Wardle was the scorer.

1964: City recorded their seventh successive league win when they beat Chesterfield 7-1 at home and were third in the Fourth Division. The crowd was 6,216 and on the scoresheet were Paul Aimson (2), Andy Provan (2), Derek Weddle, Norman Wilkinson and Billy Rudd.

1974: In front of 35,367 at Roker Park, City lost 2-0 to Sunderland and were 16th in Division Two (Championship).

1983: Keith Walwyn scored both goals as top of the Fourth Division City won 2-1 at Halifax Town.

1992: City came from 3-0 down to draw 3-3 at Cardiff City and remain top of the Third Division (League Two). On target were Paul Barnes and Ian Blackstone, pictured right, (2).

1994: Paul Barnes hit a hat trick in a 4-0 home win over Blackpool. Glenn Naylor was the other marksman watched by 4,542 and City were in the top half of the Second Division (League One).

1998: A 3-3 home draw against Burnley with Rodney Rowe (2) and Wayne Hall the scorers. City were mid-table in the Second Division and the attendance was 5,630.

2005: Scarborough were beaten 3-1 at Bootham Crescent with Andy Bishop, Clayton Donaldson and David McGurk the marksmen in front of 4,921.

Compiled by David Batters