York City defender James Meredith fired up for Wembley

Meredith and Constable were playing together for Shrewsbury Town two years ago but are now preparing to do battle in Sunday’s Blue Square Premier play-off final.

As the club’s 25-goal top scorer, Constable is regarded as Oxford United’s biggest threat ahead of their meeting with the Minstermen.

He has, however, failed to score in his last five matches against the Bootham Crescent club, although Meredith is divulging no secrets as to how City will ensure the combative target-man fires blanks again this weekend.

The 22-year-old Australian said: “I like James Constable and get on with him. He’s a bit fiery which I also like and it will be good coming up against him.

“In terms of keeping him off the scoresheet, I don’t want to give too much away but you’ve just got to knock out his strengths.”

Having been released by Derby County without breaking into the Rams’ first team, Meredith played three games for Shrewsbury, all alongside Constable, before being sent out on loan to part-timers AFC Telford United for the whole of last season.

City manager Martin Foyle then snapped him up when he was made surplus to requirements by the Shrews in the summer.

Now Meredith is hoping it will be a case of third time lucky as he attempts to establish himself as a Football League player.

He said: “I was very, very disappointed not to get more of a chance with Derby or Shrewsbury, but you just have to keep battling. I have battled and finally been given that opportunity.

“If you get one and do well, you deserve it but, if you never get an opportunity, it’s hard. The gaffer has given me an opportunity when a hell of a lot of people wouldn’t and I have a lot of respect for him.

“I’ve signed a new contract at the club because I like it here first and foremost, but also because I want to play in League Two.

“I might have been hedging my bets a bit when I signed the new deal a few weeks ago but, now, I think we have a great chance of promotion.”

The modest Meredith should certainly approach the final full of confidence having won The Press Player of the Month award for April and also frustrated highly-rated winger Claude Gnakpa during the 2-0 two-legged, semi-final triumph over Luton Town.

He added: “It’s great to get The Press Player of the Month award and I’ve been happy with my form during the last four or five weeks.

“I feel I’ve been playing against a few better players, which has given me the opportunity to show that I can defend well, as opposed to when you play teams who sit back and you have to attack them.

“One of my strengths is one-on-one contests so it’s been good to have a few in recent weeks and I loved the games against Gnakpa. He’s a good player – strong and quick. The management told me he was going to be a handful but I knew I could handle somebody like him and I’m sure I will be able to handle whoever I’m facing against Oxford.”

Meredith is widely-regarded as the club’s most improved player during his first full season of professional football and, about that accolade, he laughed: “Does that means I’ve gone from rubbish to not bad?

“I feel I just had to get used to playing full-time football at first-team level. Once you adapt and get to know your team-mates and how they play, it becomes easier.

“You also know what to expect from the opposition when you have played them once and can concentrate on your own role a bit more.”

The Albury-born defender is also hoping for better fortune against Oxford during Sunday’s game with City having been unfortunate to only collect one point in their two league encounters against the former League Cup winners.

Meredith was also given his marching orders in October’s 1-1 draw at Bootham Crescent.

“It was a soft sending-off for two yellow cards and there wasn’t much in them,” he said. “I didn’t agree with the decision but you can’t do much about these things.

“We played and defended well in the game up here and probably should have won. We were also unlucky at their place when they did us with two late goals.”

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