MIDFIELDER Danny Racchi will be unavailable for York City’s Blue Square Bet Premier clash at Luton Town tomorrow.

Racchi’s three-month loan stay from Wrexham has expired but City boss Gary Mills is interested in bringing the former Huddersfield and Bury player back to Bootham Crescent once the transfer window reopens in the New Year.

Since Mills took charge of the Minstermen in mid-October, Racchi has started nine of the club’s 11 fixtures but, following the Kenilworth Road clash, he will also be missing for the Boxing Day home match against Gateshead and the trip to Altrincham two days later.

The City chief said: “I’ve worked well with Danny and we have already talked about sorting something out until the end of the season. I’m disappointed he won’t be available for three games because he’s a footballer who can see a pass, doesn’t give away possession and is capable of scoring a goal.

“He’s also very comfortable on the ball, which I like, and I think there’s more to come from him.”

Winger Peter Till will not make the trip south either after turning an ankle in training while Levi Mackin is ruled out through illness.

David McDermott, though, is expected to shrug off a bug in time to face the Hatters and Djoumin Sangare will meet up with his team-mates in Bedfordshire having been in France on compassionate leave this week following the death of his father-in-law.

City boss Mills, meanwhile, admitted he is looking forward to the potential edge on tomorrow’s match after Alex Lawless, currently on loan at Luton from the Minstermen and unable to play against his parent club, admitted in The Press this week his new team-mates will still be smarting from last season’s play-off semi-final defeat.

“I love talk about revenge and Thursday’s ‘Vengeance’ headline in The Press got my adrenalin pumping,” Mills said. “That’s what the game is about as long as the battle is fought in the right way on and off the field.

“I put my team out to play with the passion, commitment and desire needed to win a game of football and, with our ability, I think we can get a result there. I know what went on last season and some of our fans will be reluctant to go back, which is understandable.

“But, hopefully, there won’t be any problems and I don’t think the two sides will kick lumps out of each other because of what happened in the play-offs. They will be out for revenge though and we have to make sure they don’t get it.”

Mills added his team should not fear tomorrow’s third-placed hosts and is even targeting a repeat scoreline of the 3-1 home victory he enjoyed over the Hatters as Tamworth manager back in August.

“They are a big club with a big fan base who should be the title favourites in this division but I’ve already beaten them 3-1 with Tamworth this season and deservedly so,” the City manager pointed out.

“I want to beat them 3-1 again on Saturday and I think we can do.

“It’s not daunting going there. They are not going to be any better than Rotherham and we’ve got to go to Luton with the same attitude and level of organisation we had when we went there.”


Match facts

City lost each of their seven Football League visits to Kenilworth Road (1967 to 2002) but last season ended the hoodoo by drawing the league fixture 1-1 and winning the promotion play off semi-final match 1-0.

The corresponding game last term was played on October 20, 2009, with Neil Barrett the marksman.

The line-up was: Ingham, Purkiss, Sangare, Parslow, Carruthers, Smith (Boyes), Lawless, Barrett, Ferrell (Mackin), Rankine, Brodie.

Players who have appeared for both clubs include Reg Stockill, Jimmy Weir, Jim Goldie, Rob Matthews, Lee Nogan, Liam George and Alex Lawless.

Sam Bartram managed both clubs in the late 1950s early 1960s.

It happened on December 18

1930: A 3-2 win over Nelson at Fulfordgate in an FA Cup second round replay with Fred Laycock (2) and George Sharpe the scorers.

1948: A Bootham Crescent crowd of 12,837 saw City lose to Southport 2-0 in an FA Cup second round replay. This ended a sequence of eight successive home wins.

1954: After losing 3-0 to Wrexham at Bootham Crescent City fought back to draw 3-3 with Arthur Bottom scoring twice from the penalty spot. Sid Storey was the other marksman and the crowd was 6,382.

1976: Portsmouth won 4-1 at Bootham Crescent and City were at the foot of Division Three (League One). Brian Pollard was the scorer and the attendance was 2,058.

1993: A 2-1 win at Swansea City with Steve Cooper and Paul Barnes on the scoresheet and City were 11th in Division Two (League One).

2004: Lee Grant, Paul D Robinson and Andy Bishop netted in a 3-1 home win over Crawley Town and City were 17th in the Conference.

Complied by Dave Batters