York City boss Neil Thompson could make a surprise return to action for the Minstermen's first match of the new Millennium at home to Mansfield Town tomorrow.

The City chief admits he is definitely considering playing himself as he looks to halt City's worrying slide down the Division Three table.

"It's time for people to stand up and be counted, you can't shy away from the situation, you have got meet it head on," said a no-nonsense Thompson.

It would be the City manager's first senior appearance since he hobbled from the field with a calf strain during the 0-0 draw at home to Peterborough on September 11 and would come despite the fact he was recently laid low by flu.

But with fellow left back Wayne Hall still recovering from an injured heel and Thompson contemplating giving teenager John Keegan a rest after breaking into the first team last month, the City chief is toying with taking on a hands-on role.

"Time will tell," said Thompson on whether he will actually start tomorrow's match. "But I have had a week or two in training now. I got a bang on the calf on Tuesday which certainly didn't help but I have trained again so we will see how it reacts before making any firm decision."

Thomspon insisted his likely return to action was not a slight on 18-year-old Keegan.

"John's been fine. He is not really a left-back, he is a left footed player which has given us a bit of balance.

"But I know from past experiences that people come into the team, do fine and then have a spell where fitness wise they start dropping a bit. We are mindful of that."

Joining Thompson in the Bootham Crescent sick bay this week has been Andrew Dawson, Mark Sertori and Graham Rennison with Barry Conlon the latest to be hit by the 'flu bug when he missed training yesterday.

The City boss is hopeful all will have shaken off the virus by tomorrow but was adopting a policy of 'wait and see' before finalising a squad.

"Players want to play but we will see how things are today," said Thompson, who called on his players to seize the initiative against Mansfield.

"The players have got to believe in themselves. They have shown it at times this season that they can perform, can create chances and can keep clean sheets but it is getting everything to click into place.

"There is a thin line and we are on the wrong side of it at the moment. We need to make that step and turn results around quickly."

In a boost for the City manager, Thompson revealed veteran defender Hall has started running after having two injections into his troubled heel while midfielder Kevin Hulme has also returned to the training ground after his hernia operation before Christmas.

A scan on City skipper Chris Fairclough's trouble knee has revealed the defender will not need surgery.

"He has strained his medial ligaments. It is something we are going to have to bide our time with," said Thompson.

"I know from past experience it is something that cannot be rushed and Chris is experienced enough to know when he is right and when he isn't."

Tomorrow's match offers a reduced admission price of just £5 for students who produce a valid National Union of Students card. The offer is for standing only but aims to give City fans who study away from York a chance to catch a game before returning to their studies following the festive break.

York City intermediates play their first game since the Christmas break when they entertain their counterparts from Darlington tomorrow at the club's Wigginton Road training ground, kick-off 11am, in the Football League Youth Alliance North East Conference.

Stags hunting points

ON the rise Mansfield Town have enjoyed a turnaround in fortunes since the Stags looked to lock horns with City in December last year.

Back then, Mansfield trailed York by two points and two places but after that match was postponed - due to a waterlogged pitch at Field Mill - Town have savoured a run of just one defeat in their last five matches.

Bill Dearden's side enjoyed a fruitful festive programme winning two out of three and now find themselves a couple of places above 20th-placed City with a four point cushion.

Instrumental in the Stags' rise has been Sheffield Wednesday loan signing centre-back Leigh Bromby and striker Chris Greenacre, who is coming to the end of a three-month loan spell from Manchester City.

Greenacre, who had a loan stay at Scarborough last year, has scored five goals during his residency at Field Mill, including a decisive strike in Monday's 4-3 win over Torquay.

Likely to be joining Greenacre in attack will be 21-year-old Michael Boulding, who is a former tennis professional once ranked number 26 in Britain.

He has bagged four goals in five starts since signing at the beginning of the season from Northern Counties East League outfit Hallam.

Tomorrow's Teams

York City FC

From Mimms, Hocking, Jones, Sertori, Thompson, Jordan, Agnew, Fox, J Williams, M Williams, Alcide, Conlon, Dawson, Keegan, Howarth, Turley, Bullock.

Mansfield Town FC

From Bowling, Bromby, Richardson, Andrews, Williams, Clarke, Sisson, Blake, Greenacre, Lormor, Boulding, Tallon, Roscoe, Kerr, Tye, White

City v Mansfield Match Points

In 30 previous League visits Town have won five and drawn five.

City's biggest wins in the series have been 6-1 in 1982/3 when Keith Walwyn hit a hat-trick and 5-1 in 1953/4 with David Dunmore scoring three goals. Another hat-trick man was Reg Baines who accomplished the feat in a 4-3 win over the Stags in 1932/3. Another high scoring game was in 1935/6 when City won 7-5.

A crowd of 14,209 saw this corresponding fixture at Christmas 1955. The game was drawn 1-1 and Arthur Bottom was sent off.

The clubs last met in the League at Bootham Crescent in January 1992 when town won 2-1.

Players who have appeared for both sides over the years include Tom Lockie, Harold Searson, Jimmy Weir, Kevin Randall, Ian McDonald, Terry Eccles, Graham Brown, Brian Pollard, Gary Ford and Steve Spooner.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.