Craig Skinner was back in the York City fold today and now looks set to see-out the remainder of his Bootham Crescent contract.

The transfer-listed midfielder's City future has been shrouded in mystery in recent weeks amid speculation the former Blackburn Rovers wideman had been sacked by the club.

However, it was confirmed today by club secretary Keith Usher Skinner had appealed against his dismissal by the club and at Football League tribunal in Manchester yesterday the player won his appeal.

The club have not divulged the reasons behind Skinner's 'dismissal' but Usher confirmed he would now be treated as a regular member of the City squad.

As such, the 30-year-old, who still has more than a year of his current contract to run, has now been included in this afternoon's reserve outing away to Lincoln City.

Skinner has not featured in the first team all season and has made just four starting appearances since arriving at Bootham Crescent in March 1999 from Wrexham in a £30,000 deal.

Earlier this season he turned down offers by City to settle up his contract. He was also omitted from recent reserve squads.

Speaking at the fans' forum earlier this month, City chairman Douglas Craig said the matter would be decided by the Football League "in due course".

Joining Skinner in this afternoon's reserve team trip to Lincoln was on trial Everton defender Michael Price.

Wrexham-born Price, 18, who has come up through the ranks at Goodison, lined up in a second-string defence that also included Matt Hocking and Barry Jones for City's penultimate Avon Insurance League Division One outing of the season.

City reserves: Howarth, Wise, Price, Jones, Fielding, Hocking, Turley, Skinner, Emmerson, McNiven, Stamp. Subs, from: Salvati, Collinson, Barry, Vasey, Boyce.

Updated: 12:20 Wednesday, April 18, 2001