A war of words has broken out between York City and rivals Preston over star striker Richard Cresswell.

Richard Cresswell

Preston - visitors to Bootham Crescent on Saturday - claim they made a £500,000 bid for Cresswell, which, according to sources at the Lancashire club, was 'laughed out of court'.

City, meanwhile ,insisted stoically that no such offer was tabled by their Second Division foes.

Both chairman Douglas Craig and manager Alan Little denied any contact between the clubs and Craig added that any such offer would have been derisory.

Declared Craig: "I have had no formal offer from any other club for Richard Cresswell. And any club that came in with £500,000 would be laughed out of court.

"I would not even start looking at any offer unless it is at least £1million with other sorts of things."

Any such cross-Pennine switch to Preston is highly implausible with Cresswell also being tracked by clubs from the top-flight.

At least seven Premiership clubs, including Manchester United, Newcastle, Middlesbrough and Coventry, took in City's shock 4-2 defeat by Halifax Town in the Auto Windscreens Shield at the Shay last night.

However, fourth-placed Preston are adamant they have made a bid for City's leading marksman.

While currently topping the goal-scoring charts in Division Two, Preston's clutch of strikers have struggled. Only Kurt Nogan, two-goal hero of their Monday night FA Cup tussle with holders Arsenal, is into double figures and then only just.

Desperate to beef up his attack Preston manager David Moyes said he had tabled what would be a club record bid for City's 16-goal top scorer.

The Lancashire club's record fee is £500,000 paid to Manchester United for Michael Appleton 18 months ago.

The reported tilt at Cresswell, which was part of a talent quest that took in offers for all current Division Two leading marksmen, was dismissed out of hand. Moyes added that he was quoted a price of £1m-plus for every one of the players he inquired about.

City manager Little re-affirmed his chairman's claim, emphatically refuting claims there had been an approach to him by his Preston counterpart.

"I have had no contact from them and nothing has been put to me. I have certainly not heard anything from Preston," he said.

Meanwhile, Preston are still trying to nail rumours that their manager has been lined up as the successor to Brian Kidd as number two to manager Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford.

Glasgow-born Moyes, who is to celebrate his first year in charge at Deepdale when the Lilywhites visit Bootham Crescent this weekend, has consistently rubbished the reports linking him with the vacant job at United.

But the rumours have persisted even after the Arsenal tie in which Preston's pluck and luck ran out, a 2-0 lead whittled away by the double-winners.

Little angered by 'sloppy' display

Angry manager Alan Little hit out at his players for their Auto Windscreens Shield Screens collapse.

The 4-2 defeat away to Third Division hosts Halifax Town was lambasted by the City boss as 'sloppy' and 'unacceptable' and his only hope was that it was a 'one-off' borne of complacency.

Said Little: "There were not many players who have come out of that with any credit. I am not happy and the players know I am not.

"We did not deserve anything out of the game and Halifax wanted it more than us. They were four horrible goals to give away, but while I am rollicking defenders for awful mistakes the strikers should also take some blame for opportunities squandered at vital times."

Little believed his misfiring Minstermen had fallen foul of smugness. "You have only got to look at Arsenal and the way they started against Preston in the FA Cup," he said.

"They were sloppy and out of sorts and that's how we were most of the night against Halifax. It seems to be the case when players go to a lower league club."

The manager's one consolation was that the jarring defeat was not in the League.

"We have had a dip and it was a dip, for sure. But possibly it's one that is out of our system and hopefully we can get back to focusing on Preston's visit on Saturday, which is a massive game for us."

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