OLD friendships won't count for anything tonight when York City visit basement boys Halifax Town for a vital relegation battle.

That was the message from City hotshot Michael Proctor, who enjoyed a fruitful spell at the Shay last season on loan from Sunderland.

His goals helped keep Halifax up last year but tonight he will be aiming to shoot them down - and says he won't care should they get relegated if it means City stay in the Football League.

"I had a good time there, I got on well with all the lads and enjoyed it," he told the Evening Press. "I don't want to see them go down but if it means York stay up, so be it.

"It's obviously a crucial game. We're looking to win it and take us further away from them. It would be nice to get a goal as well."

Proctor came on loan from the Black Cats at the start of the season and has been City's only ever present (Alan Fettis missed the LDV Vans Trophy tie against Notts County).

He has scored ten goals to lead the club charts, and on Saturday crossed for new-boy Jon Parkin to head home the only goal of the game at Southend. That win lifted City two places and six points above the Shaymen, with games in hand.

"Those three points helped a lot," said Proctor. "I've said all season that we're in a false position and don't deserve to be down there, and hopefully now we're coming out of it.

"We've had a few good results and hopefully we can carry that on and climb the table."

Proctor's new three-pronged strike partnership with Barnsley loanee Parkin plus the resurgent Peter Duffield proved a success on Saturday, and of the new man he added: "He's a big, strong lad and it must have been nice to get such an important goal on his debut. He looks a good player and will hopefully be a good addition to the squad."

The continued good form of 21-year-old Proctor has brought with it speculation of a permanent move away from Bootham Crescent. He has recently been linked with a switch to Darlington, while other clubs are also rumoured to be interested.

But he said: "I haven't really thought about the speculation. I read in the papers a couple of things but I've not heard anything concrete and I hope to keep playing for York and doing my best for the club.

"Hopefully I'll get a few more goals and we will get more points and be in a position we deserve to be in."

Manager Terry Dolan also had words of praise for Proctor - but warned that his best was yet to come.

"He is always a threat but I still think there's more to come from him," said Dolan.

* Matt Hocking's booking against Southend on Saturday was his fifth of the season and he therefore receives a one-match ban, which rules him out of the trip to Luton Town on Saturday, February 23.

That game at Kenilworth Road is all-ticket. City fans must purchase a ticket in advance. They are available form the Bootham Crescent ticket office (tel 01904 624447 ext 1) priced £14 for adults, £8 concessions.

Halifax Town (probable): Richardson, Woodward, Swales, Mitchell, C Clarke, Wright, Harsley, Bushell, Houghton, Jones, Richards. Subs: from Crookes, Kerrigan, Fitzpatrick, Winder, Midgley, Herbert.

York City: from Fettis, Hocking, Basham, Maley, Potter, Brass, Bullock, Richardson, Duffield, Proctor, Parkin, Howarth, Smith, Mathie, Wood, Fox, O'Kane, Nogan, Edmondson.

Updated: 09:23 Tuesday, February 12, 2002