FORMER York City loan striker Darryn Stamp is unlikely to face his old team-mates at Halifax tonight.

Stamp, who signed for the Shaymen in a £7,500 deal payable in three instalments, is due to miss the Conference clash after pulling a hamstring during the warm-up before last Tuesday's FA Trophy replay against Oxford United.

The 28-year-old, who scored on his debut for the Shaymen three days earlier in the first tie at Oxford, would not have been fit enough to feature in Saturday's postponed home game with Weymouth and new signing Lionel Ainsworth looks set to partner Shane Smeltz in attack.

Ainsworth, 19, was recruited on loan from Derby County yesterday having spent the first half of the season with League One strugglers Bournemouth.

Halifax boss Chris Wilder also made an approach for Nottingham Forest's Felix Bastians this week but he is now expected to join Bundesliga outfit Hannover 96.

The Shaymen are taking measures to bolster their strikeforce after Ryan Sugden and Chris Senior moved on to Farsley Celtic and Altrincham this month.

Ex-Middlesbrough forward Andy Campbell, who played a trial game for City in the summer, has also been ruled out since October, having suffered a knee injury after scoring his first goal for the West Yorkshire side.

Depleted Halifax have also lost centre-back Greg Young to ruptured knee ligaments following a New Year's Day injury and Neal Trotman, drafted in on loan from Oldham as cover, will need a late fitness test on a hamstring problem.

Wilder's availability problems mean he is expected to name coaches Wayne Jacobs, 36, and Lee Butler, 40, on the substitutes' bench even though neither player has made a first-team appearance since last January.

Despite lying 18th in the Conference table, Halifax have not been beaten at home since Burton clinched a 2-1 victory back in October.

Their only other defeat in front of their own fans came against Grays in August and Oxford, unbeaten in the league at the Kassam Stadium, are the only Conference side to have lost fewer times at home.

Dagenham and Stevenage are also the only two teams to have outscored the Shaymen's tally of 25 home goals this season although England Futsal international winger Steve Torpey, currently out of the side, is the leading marksman with just six to his name.

The Shaymen have won five and drawn one of their last six home games with Oxford (2-1), Hyde United (3-1), St Albans (4-1) Woking (3-0) and Stafford (3-1) all defeated.

Halifax v City match points

Compiled by David Batters

CITY have lost and failed to score in their two Conference visits to the Shay. In 2004/05, they went down 2-0 and last season were beaten 1-0 on August 29, 2005.

City's line-up that day was: Porter, Price, McGurk, Hotte, Peat, Panther, Convery (Stewart), Dunning (Yalcin), O'Neill, Bishop, Donaldson.

In 46 Football League visits to this ground, City won 15 times and drew 15 times and their biggest success was 4-0 in 1968/69.

IT HAPPENED ON JANUARY 23

1954: City drew 1-1 at Southport with Dave Dunmore the scorer. Unbeaten in five games (four wins, one draw), City had moved from the bottom of Division Three (North) to 18th.

1960: Colin Addison was the marksman in a 1-0 home win over Swindon Town watched by 6,031. City were 13th in Division Three (League One) 1965: A 3-1 victory at Torquay extended City's unbeaten run to 12 games (ten wins, two draws) and lifted them to second place in Division Four. The scorers at Plainmoor were Norman Wilkinson, Paul Aimson and Andy Provan.

1971: In the fourth round of the FA Cup at Bootham Crescent, City drew 3-3 with Southampton in front of 13,775. Twice City were losing by two goals and with three minutes left, the Saints, who at the time were sixth in Division One (Premiership) led 3-1. In a thrilling finish, Fourth Division City forced a replay with goals from Dick Hewitt and Paul Aimson. Kevin McMahon was City's other marksman.

1983: In a Sunday fixture, City beat Scunthorpe 2-1 with goals from Keith Walwyn and Gary Ford. City moved up to eighth in Division Four and the attendance of 7,097 was the biggest League crowd at Bootham Crescent since Boxing Day 1975.

1999: City were 12th in Division Two (League One) following a 1-1 home draw against Reading. Rodney Rowe was the man on target and the crowd was 3,274.

2001: A 1-0 home defeat at the hands of Chesterfield was watched by 2,570, and City were 22nd in Division Three (League Two)