YORK City trialist Gerry Harrison has been added to tomorrow's squad for the trip to Dagenham & Redbridge after agreeing to play for nothing.

Harrison, who can play in defence or midfield, has been training at Bootham Crescent without pay since mid-July.

But the postponement of a reserve game has meant he has only been able to play one match since his arrival and he has now asked former Burnley team-mate Chris Brass for a chance to prove his worth.

Brass said: "The lack of reserve games has hindered Gerry's progress but he's worked really hard to get himself fit and he's prepared to play for nothing to show us what he can do to try and earn himself a contract. He is signing for us on non-contract terms and could play at Dagenham.

"He wants to help us out and he's been here six weeks without being paid apart from a few expenses. He's been doing a one-and-a-half hour journey from Burnley every day and wants to be a part of things."

Teenage goalkeeper David Stockdale will also continue between the sticks at Victoria Road, having being named man of the match against Accrington Stanley on Tuesday night after Chris Porter's 20th-minute sending off.

The club had intended to appeal against Porter's red card but, as reported in later editions of the Evening Press yesterday, did not meet the FA's deadline to provide written notification of their intentions by noon on Wednesday.

Porter will now serve a one-match ban and Brass said: "We received the video too late and there's a smaller time-scale this season because you are suspended in the next game. It's frustrating for Chris and myself but at least it's only one game and the fact that young Stocky came in and did well helps.

"He's now got to keep grounded and perform to the best of his ability because he won't be the finished article yet. We protected him well on Tuesday night and he responded well. You have to give people opportunities and he deserves one the way he played."

Brass confirmed that Paul Crichton will still be unavailable while his argument with City supporters continues to be investigated but added that he has not yet reached a decision over the former Norwich keeper's future.

Crichton's absence though means junior stopper Arran Reid, who was fourth choice keeper just six days ago, has been registered as a player and will be drafted on to the bench.

City's youth-team keeper is the son of former Pickering Town boss Jimmy Reid and Brass said: "He's a good young keeper and I know I can call on him and, you never know, the way it's going he might have to do a job as well.

"I toyed with going without a keeper on the bench for Tuesday night but ended up making the right decision."

Striker Paul Robinson will come back into contention for a starting place after informing Brass at 3am on Monday night that he would be unavailable to play against Accrington because of gastro-enteritis only to make another call the next day to say he wanted to be on the bench.

The City boss said: "Robbo seems to be all right and that gives us more scope up front. He got off his sick bed to be a substitute on Tuesday night after ringing me at three in the morning to tell me he might not be available.

"I don't know what he was doing up at that time but at least I knew what situation I was in when I woke up in the morning."

City face their third long trip down south this season to face Dagenham in east London but will not have an overnight stay this time and Brass joked: "I think I'll be speaking with a Cockney twang soon but we knew at the start of the season we would have a lot of travelling early on and that we would be going to teams who will be up the top end of the table.

"We have had a hard start but we have got a few more home games and less travelling coming up and I think we will begin to settle down and show our strengths. I know I don't want to be as disappointed on the coach coming home as I was after Gravesend.

"Dagenham are a good, solid outfit who have been up there for a couple of seasons. It will be a very good test but we have to match them."

Squads:

Dagenham & Redbridge v City

Nationwide Conference

(at Glyn Hopkin Stadium)

Dagenham & Redbridge (probable): Roberts, Goodwin, Uddin, Vickers, Blackett, Janney, Leberl, Southam, Flynn, Taylor, Moore. Subs from: Barwa, Hill, Mackail-Smith, Boot, Midson, Griffiths.

City (probable): Stockdale, Law, Davis, Brass, Merris, Donovan, Groves, Dunning, Stewart, Bishop, Robinson. Subs: Reid, Pearson, Yalcin, Nogan, Davies.

Referee: Darren Deadman (Lincolnshire)

Kick-off: 3pm

Updated: 10:53 Friday, September 03, 2004