ENGLAND youth international Craig Dove has played his last game for York City and will not feature for the Minstermen in their FA Cup clash with Barnsley.

Dove was heading back to Middlesbrough today after City decided not to extend his one-month loan stint from the Riverside.

It was thought Dove, despite a virus that had laid him low this week, could be in contention for a rare starting opportunity against the Tykes on Sunday.

With Jon Parkin suspended, manager Chris Brass has a vacancy up front and Dove was a possible contender.

However, Dove's initial loan deal will officially draw to a close tonight.

That meant if City had wanted to play Dove tomorrow they would have had to arrange an extension with Middlesbrough.

The Hartlepool-born youngster has struggled to impress since joining the Minstermen in mid-October and City are limited to the number of loans they can have in a season.

In the circumstances, Brass had decided not to prolong Dove's stay for another month, although it still leaves the City chief with Parkin's void to fill.

Liam George and Aron Wilford are the obvious candidates but with Darren Dunning returning to the midfield after suspension Brass may decide to push top scorer Lee Bullock up front and retain the services of Richard Cooper in the centre of the park alongside Dunning and Mitch Ward.

Brass was, as usual, keeping tight-lipped as to his plans but insisted City were primed and raring to go.

"Everyone wants to get to the third round and get the plum tie but we are fortunate enough to have a Yorkshire derby against a team flying high in the Second Division," said Brass.

"We are all looking forward to it and I'm sure we will give a good account of ourselves."

City have had Barnsley watched on a couple of occasions with former Tyke players Parkin and Ward also having their say on their former club- mates, revealed Brass.

However, the City boss insisted while the Minstermen would be giving Barnsley plenty of respect they would not be overawed.

"You need to get enough information so you know what to expect, but you don't want too much to worry you," said Brass.

"Too much knowledge can be dangerous and we have to concentrate on what we do.

"We will be positive and up for it. It's the FA Cup after all and you don't need a bigger incentive than that."

York City: (probable): Ovendale; Edmondson, Smith, Brass, Hope, Merris, Dunning, Cooper, Ward, Bullock; Nogan. Subs from: Porter, Wood, George, Wilford. Brackstone, Law, Stewart.

Barnsley (probable): Illic, Austin, Gallimore, Handyside, Hayward, Betsy, Carson, O'Callaghan, Ireland, Rankin, Kay. Subs, from: Alcock, Burns, Neil, Fallon, Gorre, Lumsden.

Ref: Roy Pearson (Co Durham

Kick off: 3pm

- THE clubs have met just once before in the FA Cup and that was exactly 50 years ago in the first round at Oakwell.

- Both teams were then in Division Three (North) and a crowd of 14,755 saw Barnsley win 5-2. David Dunmore and Billy Fenton scored for City that day and the line-up on November 21, 1953 was: Searson, Patrick, Simpson, Brown, Andrews, Spence, Linaker, Hughes, Dunmore, Storey, Fenton.

- In League football the clubs have met 22 times and City have only recorded two wins (1932/33 H 3-2 and 1966/67 A 1-0). In 11 visits to Bootham Crescent the Tykes have won six times and drawn on four occasions.

- The sides last met at York almost 25 years ago to the day (November 11, 1978). Barnsley won 1-0 and City's team was: Brown, Kay, Faulkner, Clements, Walsh, Warnock (Ford), Pugh, McDonald, Randall, Loggie, Staniforth.

- Statistics by Dave Batters

Updated: 10:11 Saturday, November 08, 2003