YORK City manager Nigel Worthington will not be kept updated with results elsewhere as his team look to secure Football League survival at Dagenham & Redbridge tomorrow (3pm).
The fifth-bottom Minstermen know a point at Victoria Road will guarantee that they avoid relegation back to the Blue Square Bet Premier.
Dagenham, currently one place and one point below City in the League Two standings, need a win to be certain of staying up although both teams could still be saved, regardless of the outcome in East London, depending on events involving the five other clubs embroiled in the final-day dogfight.
Worthington insists, however, that his attentions will be fixed solely on his own team’s fixture, saying: “I will be concentrating on our game only and have never requested results from anywhere else during a match.
“It’s in our own hands and in black and white what we need to do. It’s the last game of the season and there’s a lot riding on it but we will be treating the game the same as any other.
“We will be going about our work very thoroughly and concentrating on the game rather than the situation. We will have the utmost respect for Dagenham & Redbridge but we’ve got our own jobs to do and we will be focusing on that.
“I’ve been delighted with the players’ application over the last five weeks and, if we throw everything we have got into the last game, hopefully we will get the result we want, which is to win the game because you can’t set out for a point.
“There are so many ifs, buts and maybes and all sorts of permutations but, if we win our game, then none of that matters.”
Midfielder Adam Reed has made a full recovery from the hip problem that saw him substituted in last weekend’s 2-1 home win over Southend.
That win meant the Minstermen had taken 11 points from a possible 15 in their last five games, while tomorrow’s hosts have managed only six from a possible 24.
But Worthington will not be underestimating Wayne Burnett’s team, adding: “Form counts for nothing.
“Ours and Dagenham’s is completely the opposite of each other but I won’t be looking at that. They can win games of football so we have to be on our best behaviour and make sure we do our jobs well.”
Whereas previous manager Gary Mills chose to share a pint of Guinness with his players on the eve of last season’s play-off final victory over Luton, Worthington will prefer to spend tonight preparing for the match in the same manner as usual.
“We won’t be doing anything differently and will be fully focused on the game,” he said. “It will be the normal routine – we will have a meal together, watch a DVD and then go to bed for rest so everybody is raring to go.
“There will be no partying tonight put it that way. Hopefully, we can do that tomorrow night.”
Worthington laughed off suggestions the DVD would be The Great Escape or Escape To Victory.
“It will be a football DVD so one or two of the players might be disappointed,” he said.
The City manager also paid tribute to the 1,204 fans that will be making the trip south, with the visiting end at Victoria Road sold out.
“I’ve been absolutely amazed by their support,” he reiterated. “Getting near on a 4,000 average at home and taking 500, 700 or 1,200 away is phenomenal.”
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