LUTON Town will not be able to call on the services of former York City midfielder Alex Lawless for tonight’s Blue Square Bet Premier clash between the two teams.

Lawless, who has started the Hatters’ last five matches, is ruled out due to a clause in the transfer that took him from City to Kenilworth Road in November.

The 28-year-old Welshman has been assigned with filling the creative boots of midfielder Andy Drury since his deadline day £150,000 move to Ipswich but visiting boss Gary Brabin could now turn to former Cambridge United player- manager Paul Carden to occupy that role.

Attacking pair Amari Morgan-Smith and Claude Gnakpa will be available, however, for this evening’s match despite being substituted following knocks during Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Mansfield.

Former Peterborough United striker Danny Crow remains absent with medial knee ligament damage though while Shane Blackett and Charlie Henry are also sidelined.

Top scorer Matthew Barnes-Homer is expected to be on the bench with Morgan-Smith and former Barrow frontman Jason Walker the current preferred striking partnership for Brabin.

Barnes-Homer has netted 19 times this season but failed to score in his last six outings and Dan Walker is also in contention having notched four goals in the reserves’ last two matches.

At the other end of the pitch, former City centre-back Luke Graham has struggled to break up the Hatters’ first-choice defensive partnership of George Pilkington and Zdenek Kroca since moving from Kettering in January.

Graham has been restricted to just three league starts with only champions Crawley conceding fewer Blue Square Bet Premier goals than the Bedfordshire side this season.

If third-placed Luton win tomorrow night’s game they will make a play-off spot certain regardless of results elsewhere due to their vastly superior goal difference.

The stuttering 1988 League Cup winners have only won one of their last seven matches, however, with just one victory from seven away fixtures too.

Luton (probable): Tyler; Gleeson, Pilkington, Keane, F Murray; Gnakpa, Keane, Carden, Howells; Morgan-Smith, J Walker.

Match facts

THE Hatters have only lost once in eight previous league visits to Bootham Crescent and that was on their first trip in March 1967, when York City won a Fourth Division encounter 5-1.

In six subsequent Football League visits, they won three and drew three.

The corresponding game here last season ended goalless but the promotion play-off semi-final first leg game at York was won 1-0 by City with Richard Brodie the scorer.

City’s line-up on April 29, 2010, was: Ingham, Purkiss, Graham, McGurk, Meredith, Lawless, Mackin, Barrett (A Smith), Carruthers, Brodie, Rankine (Gash).

Players to have represented both clubs include Reg Stockill, in the 1930s, along with Jimmy Weir, Viv Busby, Rob Matthews, Lee Nogan, Liam George, Janos Kovacs and currently Luke Graham and Alex Lawless. Sam Bartram managed both clubs in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

It happened on April 19

1952: A Bootham Crescent crowd of 11,335 saw a 1-1 draw against Grimsby Town with Alf Patrick the scorer.

1958: Terry Farmer scored both goals as City recorded a shock 2-1 win at top of Division Three North Scunthorpe United to retain their hopes of finishing in the top half of the table.

1965: City took a big stride to promotion with a 3-0 home win over Lincoln City with Norman Wilkinson, Billy Rudd and Andy Provan on the scoresheet. The attendance was 10,800.

1971: A club record run of 36 unbeaten league and cup games at home ended when Oldham Athletic won 1-0 at Bootham Crescent in front of 14,321 but City remained in the top four of the Fourth Division.

1975: A 3-1 win at Bristol Rovers lifted City to 15th in the Second Division (Championship) and safety from relegation. The marksmen were Chris Topping, Barry Swallow and Jimmy Seal.

1977: A run of nine games without a win was brought to an end as Swindon Town were beaten 4-2 at Bootham Crescent with Chris Galvin, Jim Hinch, Brian Pollard and George Hope on target. City were 22nd in the Third Division (League One).

1983: Third Division leaders Hull City were beaten 1-0 at home thanks to a John Byrne goal watched by 9,909 and City were seventh in the table.

1986: Goals from Tony Canham and John MacPhail from the penalty spot earned a 2-1 home victory over Lincoln City.

Compiled by David Batters