Devil’s advocate

While the need for York City to take a point from this afternoon's home match with Oxford United has been the most-popular discussed subject in pubs from Acomb to Wigginton this week, many regulars, whose pint glasses are half-full rather than half-empty, have found it difficult to resist the temptation of speculating who might be the Minstermen's favoured play-off opponents.

Going into this afternoon's matches, four teams are still fighting for the remaining two play-off spots with Oxford and Morecambe, barring a mathematical miracle, already having booked their places.

That leaves City, Exeter, Burton and Gravesend contesting for a top-five position today.

Considering the six potential play-off semi-finalists' current league standings and respective recent form there is little to present a strong case either for or against preferring one team over another.

Just seven points separates second-placed Oxford and Gravesend, who lie, seventh after 45 league games.

The gap between the top team (Morecambe) in the six-game form table and the bottom side (City) is just three points and that could diminish further depending on results.

So, the Diary has decided to take a look at alternative methods of determining the most and least-fancied opponents should Billy McEwan's men secure their top-five place this afternoon.

And, according to our calculations, Exeter City and Morecambe would be the two teams that City would prefer to negotiate on their way to reclaiming a place back in the Football League while Oxford should be avoided if at all possible.

Exeter emerge as City's favoured opposition when the last six meetings between the two sides are considered.

The Minstermen are unbeaten against the Devon side in four matches over the last two seasons and have won three and drawn one of their last four fixtures at St James Park.

City have been less successful against Morecambe in recent times but the Shrimps boast the worst record when the results of league matches between the six contenders this season are studied.

Sammy McIlroy's team have won just two from ten. One was a 3-2 victory at KitKat Crescent back in September but Billy McEwan's men have since gained revenge with a 3-1 triumph on the coast - City's biggest winning margin against any of their five rivals.

The Minstermen, meanwhile, will have collected the most points (17) against the other sides, along with Oxford and Gravesend, if they can beat the Us today.

Aside from their tendency to do well against teams around them, Oxford have also enjoyed the better of their latest meetings with City - both in the Football League and the Conference.

The Minstermen are without a win in five fixtures against the university town - with their last success a 1-0 home win in 2002 when Graham Potter scored the only goal of the game.

Other reasons to avoid Oxford, especially in the two-legged semi-final matches, are the big crowd guaranteed at the Kassam Stadium and a defence that is yet to concede three goals in a game all season and has only shipped two on six occasions.

Of the other candidates, City should approach any two-legged affair against Burton with confidence having done the double over Nigel Clough's side this season.

Results against play-off outsiders Gravesend, who have an excellent record against top sides, have been less clear-cut though with City sharing two wins, two draws and two defeats with the Kent club over the last three seasons.

Forwards forging way ahead

STRIKERS Craig Farrell and Clayton Donaldson are the clear favourites to win the Press Player of the Year award.

This season's contest will extend into the play-off games should City collect the point required to secure a top-five place at home to Oxford this afternoon.

That means the Minstermen could - fingers crossed - still be involved in four more matches, giving Donaldson the opportunity to close the gap on Farrell, who currently enjoys a four-point advantage at the top.

Any extension to the season would also give midfielders Martyn Woolford and Neal Bishop an outside chance of taking this season's honours.

Woolford (two) and Bishop (one) both collected points from last weekend's 1-0 win at Southport as our second and third-highest rated players.

Defender Danny Parslow was our top man at Haig Avenue, receiving the maximum three points.

Those points count towards our Player of the Month competition along with the two on offer to the player who polled most e-mailed readers' votes and your choice at Southport was Farrell.

Captain Manny Panther and Woolford lead the standings but any one of eight players could still win the award.

To be in with a chance of presenting the April Player of the Month award, please e-mail dave.flett@ycp.co.uk with your man-of-the-match choice from today's game.

Your selection does not have to be the Player of the Month award winner in order for you to be chosen to make the presentation.

Press Player of the Year standings: Farrell 36, Donaldson 32, Woolford 29, Bishop 28, McGurk 23, Panther 22, Goodliffe 15, Evans 13, Peat 13, Bowey 12, Lloyd 11, Craddock 9, Foster 8, Convery 7, Kovacs 7, Parslow 7, McMahon 6, Brodie 5, Dudgeon 3, Purkiss 2.

April Player of the Month latest standings: Panther 6, Woolford 6, McGurk 5, Farrell 4, Evans 3, Bishop 3, Parslow 3, Donaldson 2.

Goals: Donaldson 26, Farrell 10, Woolford 8, Bowey 7, Panther 3, Bishop 2, Convery 2, own goal 2, Peat 2, Brodie 1, Goodliffe 1, Kovacs 1, McMahon 1.

Assists: Donaldson 12, Farrell 10, Woolford 9, Bowey 7, Bishop 5, Panther 4, Convery 3, Brodie 2, Craddock 2, Dudgeon 1, Elvins 1, Goodliffe 1, James 1, Lloyd 1, McMahon 1, Peat 1, Purkiss 1, Stamp 1.

Bad boys: Craddock 1 red, 7 yellow; Peat 1 red, 5 yellow; Donaldson 1 red, 4 yellow; Bowey 1 red, 3 yellow; Farrell 4 yellow; Bishop, McMahon, Panther all 3 yellow; Dudgeon, Evans, Greenwood all 1 red, 1 yellow; Elvins, Goodliffe, McGurk all 2 yellow; Convery, Kovacs, Lloyd, Purkiss, Stamp, Woolford all 1 yellow.