FORMER York City striker Joe O’Neill is set to be handed only his second senior start of the season against his old club tonight.

O’Neill netted as Altrincham prevented Burton from racking up a 13th straight Blue Square Premier victory on Saturday during a 1-1 draw at the Pirelli Stadium.

He opened the scoring with a 25-yard strike after replacing the Robins’ nine-goal top scorer Colin Little just seven minutes into the game.

Ex-Crewe forward Little, now 36, will be sidelined for tonight’s Moss Lane clash, along with fellow first-choice frontman Chris Senior, with the pair both suffering from hamstring injuries.

Their absence will hand an opportunity to O’Neill, who scored only five goals in 39 appearances with the Minstermen despite hitting a hat-trick on his debut at Southport.

He joined Alty in the summer of 2006 after being released at the end of his one-season stay but all but one of his 14 league outings this season have come from the bench.

Former Hyde United target-man Dale Johnson is expected to be O’Neill’s attacking partner, while another former Minsterman Alex Meechan, will be among the home side’s substitutes.

Winger Lee Elam, who went on trial at KitKat Crescent over the summer, has moved on to Northwich however.

Anthony Danylyk is available after missing the Burton game due to suspension, while fellow midfielder Shaun Densmore can also play despite being shown his fifth yellow card of the season on Saturday as his ban will not come into effect until the weekend.

Despite the impressive point at Burton, Alty’s recent home form has been awful with ten goals conceded in three straight defeats.

Burton (3-1), Southport (4-1) and Rushden (4-0) have all left the Cheshire club with convincing victories with Graham Heathcote’s men last avoiding defeat in front of their own fans during a 1-0 triumph over Cambridge on November 22.

Only second-bottom Lewes have scored fewer home goals in the league than the Robins’ tally of 12 from 12 games.

In fact, 14th-placed Altrincham average exactly a goal a game in all Blue Square Premier fixtures with a haul of 27 the league’s lowest aside from the efforts of Lewes, Grays and Woking.


Match facts

YORK City have not lost on their three previous league visits to Moss Lane.

In 2005/6, they won 3-0 with Clayton Donaldson (2) and Andy Bishop the scorers and the following campaign triumphed 4-0 with Neal Bishop, Steve Bowey, Martyn Woolford and Richard Brodie the marksmen.

The corresponding game last term ended 2-2 with Woolford scoring twice as City came from 2-0 down to earn a point.

The line-up on January 19, 2008, was: Evans, Parslow, McGurk, Craddock, Purkiss, Panther, Elliott, Wroe, Woolford, Sodje (Lloyd), Brayson (Brodie).

It happened on January 27

1973: A 3-2 win at Division Three (League One) leaders Bournemouth with Paul Aimson and John Stone (2) on the scoresheet. The attendance at Dean Court was 11,964 and City were 16th in the table.

1979: In the fourth round of the FA Cup, City lost 3-1 away to Nottingham Forest, who were the reigning First Division (Premiership) champions and European Cup winners-elect. Barry Wellings was the scorer and the attendance at the City Ground was 25,228.

1990: David Longhurst scored twice in a 3-1 home win over Colchester United in front of 2,311. Shaun Reid was the other marksman and City were sixth in Division Four.

2007: Steve Bowey and Lewis McMahon were on target in a 2-2 draw at home to Grays Athletic watched by 2,689 and City were third in the Conference.

Compiled by David Batters