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20th December 2003 
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York City
At Bootham Crescent
Sunday
21/12/03 3:00pm
A trip to York just before Christmas means a big day out shopping for Mum.  For the Harriers it means the chance of having three more points in their Christmas stockings to add to the three we took off Leyton Orient last weekend.

It could also be a first chance for the fans to see what Santa bought us at the start of the week when new signing Jesper Christiansen comes out for a pre match warm up with the rest of the team.  He finally arrived in the country on Tuesday from the Danish side, Odense Boldklub, but can't play for us until January 1st 2004 with his first game possibly being the FA Cup game at home to Wolves.

By then we should know if Andy White will have had his loan spell from Mansfield extended or if Jesper is intended to be his permanent replacement.  This week the Hull City manager, Peter Taylor, agreed in principle to let our other loan player, Steve Burton, stay for a further month which could be a good sign in our quest to sign this promising player on full terms.

If Whitey does have to leave then most fans will feel that we have missed out on a very good player and I, for one, feel that Jan should now be looking to extend the squad with quality players even though they may have to spend some time sat on the bench.  For that reason we should be trying to hold on to the likes of Andy White.

Jan Molby is likely to go with the same side that started the Orient game and keep Bo Henriksen, Scott Rickards and Lee Jenkins on the bench again also John Williams will be returning to another one of his former clubs at York and I fully expect him to get a start alongside Andy White.

Scott Stamps and Craig Hinton are both nursing knee injuries but should be fit enough to start as should Dean Bennett despite a toe problem.  Kenny Coleman, however, looks set to miss out due to a continuing groin injury, and Sean Parrish remains doubtful with a similar problem.

Jan thinks that with our improving away record we may have a good chance of walking away with at least one point from this game:

"We have got no complaints about our away record.  In the last five games we've had three wins and two draws with four clean sheets, so we've no complaints on that score.

We're aware we are away in our next two games and we will probably have to lift our away performance to a new level to get something out of them.

The only team to win at York in the league this season is Rochdale.  It's a difficult place to go to.  They keep things tight and they have got some players who are capable of scoring one or two goals."



York are having a decent run again near the play-offs but their downfall does seem to be a lack of goals.  Only twenty goals with an average of one per game is the main reason for the amount of games that York have drawn this season.  In fact they have drawn six times in the last eight games.

In an effort to score more goals the manager, Chris Brass, has recently extended the loan spell of Sheffield Wednesday striker Jon Shaw for a further two months and given another month's contract to former Manchester City youngster Gary Browne.

They have quite a few out injured and suspended and they may be forced into using a striker as a temporary centre half with Jon Parkin dropping back to help out in defence due to the suspension of Richard Hope.  Also out for the same reason will be Matthew Coad, who carries out the second of a three match ban following his dismissal in a reserve game against Doncaster Rovers.

Stuart Wise and Mitch Ward are struggling with injuries but Christian Fox and Steve Downes are now approaching full fitness and could get places on the bench.

Lev Yalcin and Leigh Wood will certainly be out until the New Year with injuries.


Jan says the one to watch will be veteran striker, Lee Nogan:

"He's a proven goalscorer.  He scored goals at a higher level than the one he's at the moment and he's a handful.

He's not the biggest or the strongest, but his movement is good and he pops up in areas where he can hurt you."


Teams

Harriers from:
Brock, Danby, Stamps, Gadsby, Hatswell, Burton, A Smith, Hinton, D Williams, Parrish, Bennett, Betts, G Ward, Jenkins, Shilton, Henriksen, White, J Williams, Rickards, Heath.

York City from:
Ovendale, Edmondson, Jones, Cooper, Parkin, C Smith, Brass, Bullock, Nogan, George, Wise, Stockdale, M Ward, Brackstone, Fox, Law, Downes, Porter, Dunning, Merris.
Previous games against York City
Harriers score first
Home
Away
2002 - 03
1 - 2
0 - 0
2001 - 02
4 - 1
1 - 0
2000 - 01
3 - 1
0 - 1

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