RYAN Mallon has become Billy McEwan's 12th summer signing and could soon be followed by Dave Pounder and Darren Mansaram.

Former Halifax midfielder Mallon has agreed a short-term contract and could make his Minstermen debut on the right side of midfield in tomorrow's Conference opener against Crawley Town at KitKat Crescent.

Ex-Scarboorugh player Pounder has been offered similar terms while McEwan was deciding today whether to take Halifax striker Mansaram on loan for a month after his week-long trial with City.

McEwan said: "Ryan Mallon is a forward who can play out wide and in midfield who will be a good squad man, as all the players are. It's up to all of them to get in the team and stay in it.

"We have also offered Pounder a contract and there's a possibility we might take Mansaram on loan for a month as he's done OK training with us this week."

Andy Bishop (knee), Lev Yalcin (thigh) and Bryan Stewart (hip) all returned to full training yesterday after injury problems but are doubtful for tomorrow's starting line-up.

Bishop, though, could be asked to play through the pain barrier by McEwan with summer signing Joe O'Neill serving the last game of a three-match suspension after receiving a red card for Chester City last season.

McEwan's other options would be to pair Mallon with Clayton Donaldson in attack or throw Mansaram straight into the starting line-up if he finalises a loan move.

Graeme Law is available after tonsillitis but former Doncaster Rovers defender Jamie Price is expected to get the nod at right-back while teenage midfielder Ashley Winn could be on the bench after recovering from a hamstring injury.

McEwan also added that new goalkeeper Farhad Afandiyev would be involved but did not reveal whether he would be preferred to Chris Porter in the starting line-up.

The City boss added that his newly-assembled team of "rejects" will be on a mission to prove themselves this season, starting against Sussex visitors Crawley.

He said: "I think the players will make us laugh and cry because they are young and will make mistakes but, with patience, they will improve. They have all been rejected so they have all got a mission to prove people wrong.

"Some haven't been given an opportunity, some have been dealt a bad hand, some have made mistakes they will learn from and some have been at clubs that have progressed very quickly and have found it hard to be involved so we have benefited from that."

McEwan added that Hereford United, Stevenage Borough and Aldershot look the best tips for the Conference title this season and, while he believes it is unrealistic to expect his newly-assembled squad to challenge those teams in 2005/06, he wants that gap to close over the next two years.

He said: "Those clubs have not been where we have been or, if they have, it was a long time ago. They have had stability and are up and running.

"We are rebuilding to get back on our feet. I would like to be up there challenging with the likes of those clubs in a couple of seasons or definitely in three years."

McEwan is also still hoping to strengthen his team during the season, saying: "I feel we still need another defender, two midfielders and a striker."

Saturday's sqauds:

Nationwide Conference

York City v Crawley Town

York City (probable): Porter, Price, McGurk, Hotte, Peat, Mallon, Panther, Convery, Dunning, Donaldson, Bishop. Subs: Afandiev, Merris, Dudgeon, Yalcin, Winn.

Crawley Town (probable): Smith, Giles, Simpemba, Woozley, Jenkins, Elam, Wormull, Danny Brown, Hodgson, Ekoku, Burton. Substitutes: Cade, Judge, Ward, Opinel, Armstrong.

Referee: Michael Oliver (Northumberland).

Kick-off: 3pm

Updated: 11:37 Friday, August 12, 2005