GIVEN York City's exemplary travelling talents - they are a match for Manchester United as the best in the land for away successes this season - they will likely conquer hosts Burton Albion today.

But where will that put City manager Billy McEwan after conflicting messages within the space of 15 tumultuous days?

Flash back to March 16 and the build-up to the visit of St Albans - one of three games in quick succession at Bootham (sorry, City's base is prefaced by that infernal KitKat moniker) Crescent.

Noting how numbers of the home faithful had failed to peak above 3,000 in their previous six outings, the canny Scot thundered in his inimitable style how, in the wake of a glorious 5-0 caning of Cambridge United: "If we don't get extra fans now then we will never get them. I'm appealing to all our supporters to come out, bring a friend and cheer us on to where we want to be and where we want to go.

"It's vital to make KitKat Crescent into a fortress now because we are going to be involved in massive games and playing for big stakes."

It did not take an idiot to see that "big stakes" translated as the Valhalla of a return to the Football League.

Fast forward to the last day of March and the dispiriting 2-0 home defeat by Gravesend, which followed a goalless draw against the aforementioned St Albans and a 1-0 reverse on Crescent territory to fellow play-off hopefuls Stevenage.

After yielding just a solitary point from three home outings to dent the push for the prize of promotion, the City boss said it was time to "get real".

McEwan reckoned it would not be the end of the world if City were to miss out on the end-of-season play-off hullabaloo, which boasted the added incentive of playing at the new Wembley.

"If we get there (play-offs) we get there, if we don't so what? It's where we are on April 28. That's where you are judged and if we finish higher than seventh I will be delighted because that's where we finished last year," was the message from McEwan, who admirably pointed out how he was at the helm of the club to build for the long-term.

He added: "Expectations are high because of what happened last year and where we are this year so if it doesn't happen is it the end of the world? I don't think so."

The attendant hoo-ha regarding the prospect of playing at Wembley was even pooh-poohed by the City supremo.

But what's that all about? By the very verve and adventure of their football, the Minstermen - marshalled superbly by McEwan - have ignited the spark of play-off aspirations. While sixth place, just shy of the play-off positions, would be an improvement, that's not what fans desire.

True, you don't always get what you want in life, let alone football, but let's stay on-message' Billy.