Manager James Beattie has urged his Stanley players not to let their hard work go to waste during the League 2 run-in.

Although last week’s 1-0 home defeat by Northampton means the Reds are still not assured of Football League survival, Beattie was keen to reiterate how well his side did to get themselves clear of the relegation zone.

The Stanley boss warned it’s too soon to get into holiday mode, though, as not only is he desperate to avoid getting dragged back into the survival scrap but he wants his side to earn the final league position he feels they deserve.

“Against Northampton, I don’t think the lads performed as well as we have been doing and it was a disappointing performance,” he said.

“But we need to process that disappointment, put it out of our heads straight away and go again.

“All we can do is try to put it right in training and gain a result in the next game against York - as we do every week.”

While York’s 12-game unbeaten streak has sent them from 20th place to seventh, Beattie feels the Reds’ revival from seemingly being adrift in October rivals that run.

“We’ve been on an unbelievable journey,” he added. “The progress we’ve made, as a club and a team, has been remarkable and I keep saying it. People need to realise what position we were in and what position we’re in now, but we need to finish it now.

"If you think you’ve cracked it, that’s when football has a habit of biting you - and it can bite hard! I know as I’ve been in that position myself as a player, and I won’t let these lads do that to themselves.”

Stanley have extended full-back Adam Buxton’s loan from Wigan by another month so could be unchanged at Bootham Crescent.

“They’ll be full of confidence but the pressure will be on them so we’re not daunted, we’re not scared of them,” said captain Luke Joyce. “York are a good team and we respect them, but we are too.”

The York defence currently the meanest defence in League 2, however. Nigel Worthington's men were 20th in the table at the start of February, five places below Stanley.

But the Minstermen embarked on an incredible run which has thrust them into promotion contention. After holding leaders Rochdale to a 0-0 draw last weekend, York occupy the last play-off spot.

Despite last Saturday’s defeat by Northampton, Stanley remain on the brink of earning Football League survival after a run of just two defeats in eight.

But the Minstermen are top of the form table having gone 12 unbeaten since the start of February, winning eight while keeping 10 clean sheets. wThey haven’t conceded a single goal during their last seven games while the Reds have scored just two in their last four.

The Reds have also failed to beat York in three games since they returned to the Football League for the 2012/13 season.

Their last visit to Bootham Crescent felt like a win, though, as - just over a year to the day - Peter Murphy’s last-gasp equaliser earned a crucial point towards Stanley staying up last term.