Strike out

Player-boss Chris Brass dropped his biggest hint yet concerning the future of the two forwards when he named George as a substitute at Swansea and did not include Bell at all in his 16-man squad.

George has scored three times in an injury-interupted season at Bootham Crescent and Bell has netted just once after arriving at the start of March following his release by Wycombe Wanderers.

Brass has made the signing of a proven lower league marksmen one of his priorities this summer and, after Saturday's game where Lev Yalcin played as a lone centre-forward, he said: "We need more presence up front."

Defender Stuart Wise also missed the trip to Swansea but was injured after pulling a muscle in his backside and is expected to be offered a new deal.

Richard Hope and Chris Porter have already discussed new terms, which leaves Dave Merris and Leigh Wood as the remaining senior players whose City futures need deciding.

Left-wing back Merris, 23, should be safe from Brass' axe after making a generally solid transition from non-league Harrogate Town and Wood might have earned a reprieve after impressing in the centre of defence at Swansea.

Should Hope, Wise, Porter, Merris and Wood all join Brass, Lee Nogan and Darren Dunning on next season's wage-bill that would leave City with eight senior players alongside first-year professionals Yalcin, Graeme Law, Sean Davies and Matthew Coad.

Brass has indicated that six teenagers could be involved in a 20-man first-team squad next season after their introductions to senior football during the final games of the season, which would appear to pave the way for at least six new faces in the summer.

The City manager said: "It's my job now to attract the players that I feel will nurture them along. I have got a lot of irons in the fire and I hope they will bear fruit now.

"We need a greater physical presence and I want to play the formation I prefer which is 4-4-2. It will be my team next season but we will be helped by the youngsters because I know they will die for me.

"There are six or seven teenagers that can help us make a squad of 20. That helps us with finances.

"They can also benefit from training with us and travelling with us if they keep their feet on the ground."

Brass included five teenagers in his starting line-up at Swansea, giving a first start to 17-year-old Kane Ashcroft and also giving striker Robbie Haw his debut at the same age as a 60th-minute substitute.

The City boss was pleased with the response he received, saying: "It bodes well. I won't be frightened to throw them in next season but they won't all be coming in at once like they have had to do in the last two matches.

"You won't play in many more intimidating crowds than at Swansea and I think they will have learned a lot. The pleasing thing is we got a good performance and everybody was proud to wear the shirt which will be the emphasis when I am team building in the summer.

"Had we had a few performances like that six weeks ago then we would not have found ourselves in this predicament but it would not have been fair to throw the lads in at that time. We must look to the future now though.

"They are no means the finished article but there's a great deal to build on. The kids have got the right ethics at least and showed tremendous work-rate. Robbie Haw came on because he's progressed as the season has gone on.

"He's got a little bit of something about him. He's a small lad but he's strong and holds the ball up. It will have done him good to see what the pace of league football is out."

One teenager who did not get a piece of the action was 16-year-old defender Michael Staley, who was bidding to become the fourth-youngster player in City's history after Reg Stockill, Lee Grant and Mick Astbury.

Brass said: "He did not get on because of the pressure we were under at the back."

City kept their first clean sheet for nine matches and Brass praised his defence afterwards, saying: "You lay your foundations on clean sheets, which we were doing at the start of the season. We were up against some good strikers and wingers who would get into any Third Division team so our defence deserves a great deal of credit.

"We certainly welcomed Richard Hope back, especially in the air where he made a big difference."

Updated: 10:29 Monday, May 10, 2004