The National League season continues in midweek as York City welcome Scunthorpe United to the York Community Stadium on Tuesday night.
Coming into this match the hosts are 18th in the National League table with 42 points from 39 games, whilst their visitors are in 22nd place with 33 from 39, so the fixture is key in the battle to avoid the drop.
Match preview
York City come into the meeting with Scunthorpe in wretched form having won only four of their last 15 league games, including a five-game winless run in February that cost manager David Webb his job.
Now under the caretaker management of Tim Ryan, City have lost four of their last six matches including in their most recent fixture when they were beaten 3-0 away at league leaders Wrexham as strikes from Elliot Lee and Sam Dalby added to a Ryan Whitley own goal.
That reverse in Wales has left the Minstermen in 18th place in the National League standings, just four places and as many points above Tuesday's opponents Scunny in the final relegation spot, so the midweek meeting between the teams is the very definition of a six-pointer, as York could go seven points clear of their visitors and jump to 16th should they record a victory.
The contribution of York's forwards this season has been crucial in keeping the Yorkshire outfit above the dotted line heading into the final stretch, as 12 strikes from Lenell John-Lewis and seven from Shaqai Forde have been the main provider of York's 11 wins this term. Lewis and Forde will need to add to their scoring tallies in the remaining matches if they are to save Ryan's men from relegation to the National League North.
Scunthorpe United have had a horrible time in the fifth tier this campaign after they fell out of the Football League in May, with manager Michael Nelson being sacked in January following a run of two triumphs in 11 games.
Interim manager Jimmy Dean also has only a pair of league victories in nine to his name, with their last outing being a 4-0 trouncing by title-chasing Notts County as goals from Adam Chicksen and Macaulay Langstaff compounded Ben Richards-Everton turning the ball into his own net.
Coming into the tie with York, Scunny are in the relegation zone and are five points adrift of safety, but a win on Tuesday night will really shake up the battle to avoid the drop as it will put them just two behind Yeovil Town in 21st. That said, United have played a game more than Town and Torquay United, as well as two more than Gateshead, so Scunthorpe need to start putting points on the board and fast.
The Iron's away form has dogged their campaign as they have won only once on the road all season, losing 12 matches in that time and scoring only 14 goals.
They will have to cure their travel sickness in the remaining fixtures if they are to avoid back-to-back relegations, and Tuesday's trip to Yorkshire is a good chance to do this as the hosts have triumphed only six times in front of their own fans.
Recent meetings between York and Scunthorpe have been evenly matched with one win apiece and three successive draws in the last five, and a fourth draw on the bounce would do neither side any favours in their shared fight to avoid falling through the trap door.
Team News
Both of the teams have fully-fit squads to choose from ahead of the match, so York will field their usual 4-4-2 formation with Fraser Kerr partnering Mark Ellis in the heart of City's defence.
Shaqai Forde is pushing for a start against United after coming off the bench at the weekend so may well partner John-Lewis upfront, whilst Ollie Tanner and Alex Hurst will provide support from the flanks.
Anthony Greaves and Dan Pybus wil make up York's engine room and be tasked with being an industrial link between the midfield and attack whilst also helping out with the defending.
Scunny will utilise the same system as their hosts, with Richie Bennett and Danny Elliott playing as a strike partnership while Sean Shields and Liam Feeney provide the width.
Dean Rance and Tom Pugh are likely to start in the centre of Scunny's midfield and they will protect a central defensive pair of Will Smith and Richards-Everton.
York City possible starting lineup:
Whitley; Fallowfield, Kerr, Ellis, Crookes; Tanner, Greaves, Pybus, Hurst; Forde, John-Lewis
Scunthorpe United possible starting lineup:
Billson; Ogle, Richards-Everton, Smith, Wilson; Shields, Rance, Pugh, Feeney; Bennett, Elliot
We say: York City 1-0 Scunthorpe United
Scunthorpe will be reeling after their thumping by Notts County on Saturday and home advantage combined with the goalscoring prowess of John-Lewis and Forde may just give York the edge in this basement battle.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Ollie Hawthorn
