York City's future stars will be looking to give the club an FA Cup lift of their own tonight ahead of the senior squad's first round tussle with Barnsley.

City's youth team are back in FA Youth Cup action tonight, when they entertain Macclesfield Town in a second round tie at Bootham Crescent, kick-off 7pm.

A win would give the youngsters a massive confidence boost - their only victory of the season so far coming in the first round when they defeated Hull City 1-0.

It would also serve as the perfect curtain-raiser for Sunday's eagerly anticipated Bootham Crescent clash between City's senior side and Second Division Barnsley in round one of football's most prestigious domestic cup competition.

Tonight's teenage encounter promises to be a close affair although City, despite their poor form in the league, will fancy their chances of booking a place in round three.

It was City who knocked Macclesfield out of the same competition last season thanks to a 1-0 win at Moss Rose.

Recalled assistant youth coach Brian Neaves: "It could have gone either way in that game but we scored with six or seven minutes to go.

"We are expecting Macclesfield to be up for this one because I'm sure they won't want to be knocked out by us again.

"But if we can show the same sort of application and determination we showed against Hull in the first round then we should do well.

"That was the decisive factor against Hull and if we can repeat that then we are in no doubt we have the ability.

"Our results have perhaps not reflected that and it is really just the mental strength side of things we have to work on and develop."

City have just one injury concern of note with wing-wizard Bryan Stewart, who has featured for the City first team on a handful of occasions this season, nursing an ankle injury.

Stewart suffered the blow in last Saturday's 2-1 defeat at home to Halifax although the club are confident the youngster will recover in time.

City will not be able to field their third-year trainees in tonight's competition, which is open to Under-18s.

That means Graeme Law, Sean Davies, Matthew Coad, Mike McKenzie and Lev Yalcin are all ineligible. So City will draft in a number of the club's U16s team.

Joe Foote, a central midfielder, and Alex Janes, a left-back, both from York, and Middlesbrough-based right-back Leon Poole, could all be included.

The tie with the Silkmen must be settled tonight. If the scores are level after 90 minutes extra-time and penalties will be used to decide the winners.

If City emerge victorious they will have home advantage again in the third round having been drawn to face their counterparts from First Division Walsall.

Entry is £3, £1 for concessions.

York City (from): Stockdale, Anderson, Ashcroft, Arthur, Baynes, Stewart, Kamara, Green, Webster, Haw, Lyons, Staley, Reid, Foote, Janes, Poole, Collins.

City's reserve game at home to Boston today has been put back to January 7.

Updated: 10:32 Wednesday, November 05, 2003