Stevenage Borough Preview

[Match Reports]

After two poor results over the weekend, York City's play off ambitions are all but over and all that remains is playing for pride. Opponents Stevenage Borough are currently involved in the same battle for 5th place that York were hoping to be in, and with Morecambe facing an easy home game, they will want 3 points off a badly out of form Minstermen.

Team News

For City, manager Billy McEwan says that there won't be any slacking despite the games until the end of the season being almost meaningless, unless there were to be 2 defeats for Stevenage and Morecambe combined with 2 wins for the Reds, which is extremely unlikely. McEwan said after the drab 0-2 defeat to Halifax, "the season's not finished. There's two games to go and, if there's any slacking and they go through the motions, they will not be at York City next season. The season lasts 42 games not 40. They need to keep giving our supporters value for money as they have done all season." Neil Bishop was a mystery absentee for the game against Halifax and could be in contention for a return to midfield, and Jamie Price could once again be fit after a knee injury to take up his position at right back, allowing David McGurk, clearly the club's best defender, to move to centre back after being bizarrely selected at full back for the game against Fax. Mark Convery could be recalled after another strange team selection meant that he was on the bench against Halifax, and if the team switches back to 4-4-2, Joe O'Neill, who had a poor game on Monday, missing two great chances, could be back on the bench, as could Stephen Thomas. Or it is possible that youngsters such as Alex Rhodes and Nathan Kamara could be given full debuts. Nathan Peat may return following a one match ban.

For Stevenage, infamous manager Graham Westley saw his team pick up a 2-1 win against Crawley on Monday. He was quick to praise the Boro faithful, saying "I have to say that our fans were instrumental in winning those points today. I knew that the 3 points would not be easily gained and they weren't. They were magnificent. With York due in town at the weekend, I have to ask for one more massive home effort. If we put in our best collective energies yet, who knows what might happen?" Stevenage, as usual, will probably play a physical, long ball style of football, with their two frontmen Darryn Stamp and Jefferson Louis both being good players in the air. There are unlikely to be any new injury concerns for Stevenage for this game. Ex - City defender Matt Hocking hasn't featured for Stevenage recently so unfortunately one of the most "shocking" defenders in recent years for City will not have to face the usual abuse from the City faithful!

Possible Teams

City: porter; price, dudgeon, mcgurk, peat; thomas, panther, dunning; donaldson, o'neill, bishop. Subsitutes: reid, merris, hotte, stewart, convery.

Stevenage: julian; henry, goodliffe, oliver; weatherstone, berquez, miller, maamria, boyd; louis, stamp. Substitutes: nurse, bulman, gore, gregory, warner.

Current Form Guide

York - LDWDLL - Accrington Stanley (H), Burton Albion (A), Altrincham (A), Kidderminster Harriers (H), Cambridge United (A), Halifax Town (H).

Stevenage - DWDWDW - Accrington Stanley (A), Gravesend and Northfleet (H), Kidderminster Harriers (A), Scarborough (H), Halifax Town (A), Crawley Town (H).

Last Season

Stevenage 2-2 City

City twice took the lead but were pegged back. The goals were scored by Byron Webster and Jon Maloney for City, and Anthony Elding for Boro.

Useful Links

http://www.stevenageborofc.com/ - Stevenage Borough Official Site
http://www.boroguide.co.uk/ - Boro Guide
http://www.stevenageborough-mad.co.uk/ - Stevenage Borough Mad
http://www.borobanter.co.uk/sbfc.mpl - Message Board
http://yorkcityfc.com/pl - Predictions League
http://yorkcityfc.com/away/stevenage.php - Away Travel Information
http://yorkcityfc.com/forum/viewforum.php?f=4 - Catch A Match Forum