HARTLEPOOL midfielder Michael Maidens has been drafted straight into York City's squad for this afternoon's Conference clash at Kidderminster after completing a one-month loan deal.

Maidens is right-footed but has played on either flank for Hartlepool and should give Minstermen boss Billy McEwan more tactical options with Martyn Woolford the only natural winger currently on the KitKat Crescent books.

The 19-year-old, 5ft 11in wide man has made seven appearances for the League Two promotion contenders this season although only one - in the Johnstone Paints Trophy - has been from the start.

He did, however, manage 20 outings in League One last season and found the net once - a curling effort in a 3-1 victory over Huddersfield Town last March that was named the club's Goal of the Season'.

Prior to that, he made his first-team debut at the age of 17 in a September 2004 League Cup tie at Crystal Palace and is a former Victoria Park team-mate of City right-back Darren Craddock.

Australian midfielder James Meredith, who has been taken on trial from Derby by City, will be given a second chance to impress following his reserve outing against Rotherham.

McEwan said: "He's only 18 and a boy so we wouldn't be considering him for the first team but he is trying to get himself fixed up for the future as a number of players are. We will have another look at him but he's being touted all over the place."

Meanwhile, midfielder Mark Convery returned to light jogging this week as he begins his rehabilitation following a broken metatarsal.

McEwan wants his men to earn their place in the sun.

After York was battered by wind and rain this week McEwan has vowed to take a Minstermen team to La Manga in the future.

He was grateful to Nestlé Rowntree for the use of their training facilities as the company's Mille Crux pitches provided the venue for City's final preparations ahead of today's game.

McEwan was delighted to take advantage of the site with the club's Wigginton Road training ground and KitKat Crescent pitch both still suffering from heavy rainfall.

He is still, hoping, however, to one day be in a position, as City manager, to fly his players out to Spanish resort La Manga - the exclusive football, tennis and golf complex which is a destination for most Premiership stars at least once a season.

McEwan said: "Training has been very difficult for us again this week and we are grateful to Nestlé for the use of their facilities. The local community of York have been very helpful to us as we have also been able to use Poppleton juniors' fantastic facilities and those at Oaklands School.

"We are hoping to carry on forging such good relationships because it also gives us variety. You can get stale if you are at Wigginton all the time and, if circumstances were different, I would have taken the players to La Manga because they have deserved it.

"When I was at Derby, we were one of the first clubs to use it in 1996. Steve McClaren and myself went over when it was just one rickety football ground full of moss and we just trained and conditioned the players for four days and played some golf.

"We went back the next year and there were two fantastic new pitches. The following year there were four and now there's a complex.

"We used to go there for pre-season training at Derby and during the international break in March. At Conference level, you have got to improvise but we will get there one day."