York City midfielder Steve Agnew is to miss the home game against Torquay United on Saturday, January 15, through suspension.

He only recently returned to the side after six weeks out with a neck injury, but the booking he picked up at Hartlepool United on Boxing Day means he has totted up too many disciplinary points.

Because that caution was given on a Sunday game, he will be available for Saturday's home Nationwide League division three clash with Mansfield Town, but the ban comes into effect after that so misses the clash with the Gulls.

Andrew Dawson is out of tonight's Pontins League division two game against Stockport County at Bootham Crescent tonight (7pm) with flu.

Despite City's game at Darlington being called off on Monday, City assistant manager Adie Shaw said it was unlikely that first teamers would be given a run against County - with the exception of striker Colin Alcide.

Alcide was gashed in the groin during City's 2-1 reversal at Hartlepool and then sustained a knee injury in the 2-1 home defeat by Cheltenham Town last week.

"Colin has taken a couple of knocks recently and we think it may be best to give him 45 minutes," said Shaw.

Another player looking for an hour of football is player-manager Neil Thompson.

"The gaffer hasn't had a run for a month due to his calf strain and then a touch of flu, so he will be wanting to get 45 minutes to an hour and give it a go," added Shaw.

Midfielder Craig Skinner continues his recovery from a long term knee injury and Shaw was hoping that it would be only a matter of a fortnight before the 29-year-old former Blackburn Rovers and Wrexham player was in contention for a first team place.

"The Christmas holidays probably came just at the wrong time for Craig," said Shaw.

"He has been progressing well but then we had the two week break in reserve fixtures for the holidays when probably Craig could have done with the matches.

"But we didn't want to rush him after such a long lay-off and hopefully in two weeks time he can be pushing to get back into the first team."

York City reserves (from): Howarth, Reed, Rennison, N Thompson, Skinner, Bullock, Walters, Garratt, Turley, Alcide, Keegan, M Thompson, Fielden, Collins, Ormiston.

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