York V Southend at Bootham Crescent : Match Preview

19 April 2013 12:02
York V Southend - view commentary, squad, and statistics of the game live.


Minstermen waiting on McGurk

York manager Nigel Worthington will give defender David McGurk as long as possible to prove his fitness for his side's final home game of the season against Southend.

Centre-half McGurk missed last week's win at Northampton due to a calf injury and in his absence teenager Tom Allan made his first start for the club.

Allan is expected to continue if McGurk fails to make it, but Chris Doig will also come into contention.

Worthington must decide who to start up front following the return of on-loan striker Richard Cresswell to parent club Sheffield United.

Cresswell sustained an Achilles injury last week and was replaced by Jason Walker, who could return to the starting XI alongside Ashley Chambers.

Worthington has no other new injury or suspension problems as the Minstermen bid to secure their Football League status for another season with victory while hoping relegation rivals Barnet and AFC Wimbledon both lose.

Southend will be without Tamika Mkandawire but Luke Prosser returns to contention and is a contender to step in at the heart of defence.

Mkandawire, predominantly a midfielder but who has been playing at centre-back in recent matches, is now back with parent club Millwall after completing his loan spell with Tuesday's 2-0 victory at Aldershot - boss Phil Brown's first win since taking charge.

Prosser, meanwhile, has missed the last two matches due to a back injury but is back in the fold for the clash at Bootham Crescent. He will now compete with Mark Phillips and Chris Barker for a place alongside Ryan Cresswell.

Goalkeeper Paul Smith will be assessed having missed out at the EBB Stadium in midweek with a virus.

Despite just one victory in their last eight games, Southend still harbour an outside chance of a play-off place as they currently sit four points off the top seven with two matches remaining.

Source: PA