YORK City captain Russell Penn has told fellow Burton Albion old boy Adam Reed he will have "nothing to prove" when he faces his former club tomorrow.

Reed was frozen out at the Pirelli Stadium following his summer move from Sunderland, starting just three league games in five months prior to rejoining City during the January transfer window.

He has since established himself in the Minstermen's midfield engine room alongside Penn with the pair having enjoyed eight wins and two draws in ten games after first being paired together for January's 2-0 home defeat to title contenders Chesterfield.

In fact, Reed's career record for City, including his loan spell at the end of last season, makes for impressive reading with just one defeat during 18 outings

He has also enjoyed 12 wins and five draws for the Bootham Crescent club and Penn, who left the Brewers on his own terms after turning down a new contract to join Cheltenham, wants the Hartlepool-born, 22-year-old to ignore the opposition's identity tomorrow.

"I have spoken to Reedy and told him he has nothing to prove," Penn insisted. "He's where he is now and the same applies to me really.

"We will just be treating it the same as any other game and do what we have been doing to win the battle."

Despite the team's success since Penn and Reed were selected in the same starting line-up, neither player is yet to find the scoresheet for City this season.

Penn has previously netted in each of his nine seasons as a professional but is still waiting for his first goal in 2013/14 and has vowed he will hit the target before the end of the campaign.

"Goals have never been my strongest point but, of course, I will get one before the end of the season," he promised. "You have got to get goals from everywhere and it's probably the area myself and Reedy could improve on most.

"As long as the team keeps scoring, though, that's the main thing. As a team, we perhaps need to get a few more because you can't always rely on the defence but the games are tight at the moment and, sometimes, one goal is enough."

Having beaten six sides all occupying places in the bottom half of the table during March, Penn is now relishing three games against top-six sides during the Minstermen's next four fixtures with the Burton clash closely followed by contests against Rochdale and Oxford.

"I am happy with that schedule," he added. "We look well-drilled at the moment and we have done it against clubs at the opposite end of the table so, now, we can prove how far we have come in the last two or three months.

"Burton were in the play-offs last year and have been pretty much in the top five for the whole season so they will be no mugs but I think games against teams at the bottom of the table can be harder at this stage of the season. They are potential banana skins with lots of expectation, whereas playing sides at the top will be close but enjoyable.

"We are hitting form at the right time and we've just got to keep it going because the momentum is on our side and confidence is growing by every game."

Match facts

LAST season the clubs met for the first time in the Football League and in the game at Bootham Crescent City won 3-0 on New Year’s Day in 2013.

Jason Walker (penalty), Patrick McLaughlin and Matty Blair scored in front of 3,863 and the line-up was Ingham, Parslow, Smith, McGurk, Fyfield, Kerr (Bullock), Potts (Oyebanjo), McLaughlin, Blair, Walker (Reed), Rodman.

This was to be the last victory under Gary Mills and City did not win again until Easter Monday (April 1) when they beat Plymouth Argyle at home to end a run of 16 League games (eight draws and eight defeats) without success.

The Brewers made five Conference visits between 2004 and 2009, winning three times and drawing once, City’s only win was in 2006/7 when they triumphed 3-2.

Players who have represented both clubs include Neil Warnock, Pat Lally, Paul Groves, Mark Greaves, Danny Blanchett, John McGrath and Adam Reed.

It happened on March 29

1937: A 4-0 home win over Southport in Division Three North watched by 6,191. On the scoresheet were Albert Thompson (2), Malcolm Comrie and John Whitelaw.

1963: Lincoln City were beaten 4-2 at Sincil Bank in the Fourth Division (League Two) with Wally Gould, Norman Wilkinson, John Stainsby and an opponent on target.

1969: Phil Boyer scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Colchester United at Bootham Crescent in Division Four (League Two) in front of 3,350.

1975: An Old Trafford crowd of 46,802 - the highest to watch City in League football - saw Manchester United win 2-1 in Division Two (Championship). Willie Morgan and Lou Macari scored for the home side with Jimmy Seal, pictured, replying for City.

1985: 17-year-old Marco Gabbiadini made his debut when coming on as a substitute in a Third Division (League One) fixture at home to Bolton

Wanderers. The visitors won 3-0 watched by 4,363.

1994: Second Division (League One) leaders Reading were beaten 1-0 at Bootham Crescent in front of 5,558. Gary Swann was the scorer.

2003: City went to third in Division Three (League Two) following a 2-0 home win over Southend United. Lee Nogan and Lee Bullock scored in front of 4,312.

compiled by David Batters