YORK City boss Sam Collins wants his team to underline their promotion potential during a “really important week” for the club.

The ninth-placed Minstermen kick off a Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday schedule this weekend with a trip to Telford, who lie two positions above them.

Tuesday night then sees Collins’ men visit fourth-placed Spennymoor, before Bradford Park Avenue, in third, visit Bootham Crescent four days later.

City’s previous matches this season against teams currently in the top seven have resulted in a draw against Brackley (0-0) and defeats to Chorley (1-0) and Kidderminster (3-0), but Collins, who has won six, drawn three and lost one of his ten games in charge, believes the team are now in better shape ahead of the hat-trick of consecutive clashes against higher-placed clubs.

He said: “We know this is a really important week, with Telford, Spennymoor and Bradford Park Avenue all a little bit higher than us in the table. We’re looking forward to it and, first, we’ve got to come away with a really good result from Telford.

“We’ve worked really hard over the last ten weeks to put ourselves where we are now and know two or three strong results will put us in a good position. We know we are capable of giving anybody a really, good game and, even in the defeat to Kidderminster, we caused them a hell of a lot of problems but didn’t take our chances and we’ve learned and improved a lot since then.

“Barring injury, I’ve got a plan for what can get us through the three games and we are lucky with the options we have got, because we can go with pace, big players, technical skill or two up front, so we can change whatever we need to do from game to game.”

Telford take on the Minstermen having only taken two points from a possible 15 in the league, but Collins is not underestimating the Shropshire outfit, adding: “They started the season really well. Recent results wouldn’t have been what they wanted, but they’ve got some decent players and it will be a tough game.

“They’ve also been playing a couple of really, interesting formations, so we will be trying to think of ways to cause them problems.”

Wes York has suffered an adverse reaction to an insect bite on his leg this week, but Collins is hoping he will be available at the New Bucks Head Stadium, declaring: “Wes is a really important member of the group, because he gives us something completely different.”

Scottish attacker Alex Harris, meanwhile, is set to make his seventh successive start since his move from Falkirk, although Collins is unable to reveal the terms of his Bootham Crescent contract, simply pointing out: “He’s done great for us and is a good kid, whose always practicing his free kicks, his finishing and doing his fitness work.”

First-year professional Harry Thompson, meanwhile, will be in Billingham Town’s squad for their home clash against Heaton Stannington, having joined the Northern League second division side on loan, with Collins set to monitor his progress closely.

“Harry can play in the under-19 games, but you can’t beat experiencing men’s football at his age,” the City chief declared. “He will be playing with lads who are trying to pick up their £50 win bonus, because that’s really important to them and it’s good to experience that environment.

“There’s also a big difference in Billingham’s infrastructure and training ground to what he is used to here and he’s got to think about how much he wants to be a York City player. Players at this level would do well to get a better place than York City, because some of the facilities are Championship standard, not National League North, especially with the new stadium coming along.

“He will experience things at Billingham that he has never done before and he’ll be playing against lads who have been at that level for 15 years, so it’s a question of how you can deal with that. If you can’t, then you’re no good to me.

“We’ll make sure we watch him and keep contact with him and, if he takes everything on board and does well, there’s always the opportunity to come back here and progress, because I will always put young players in if they’re ready.”