ELLIOTT DURRELL has already helped sink Chester and now he’s gunning for another former club in the shape of York City.

The attacker scored twice, once from the spot, as Altrincham defeated the Blues, who he played for in the 2015/16 season, in a National League North play-off eliminator.

Success for the Robins secured a trip to York City in Saturday’s semi-finals, Durrell coming up against the side he spent just over four months with earlier this season.

“It didn’t really work out for me at York, but football is a funny old game,” said Durrell. “I just knew when I signed for Altrincham that we’d end up meeting York in a big game.”

Altrincham head to Bootham Crescent as underdogs. Steve Watson’s York were top of the National League North table when time was called on the regular season as a result of the coronavirus crisis with the Robins nine points further back in fifth spot having played a game less.

But former Wrexham man Durrell believes Altrincham were more than capable of catching York, who missed out on automatic promotion to King’s Lynn after the final standings were calculated using an unweighted points-per-game method.

“When the season finished we were in good form,” he continued. “We still had York and King’s Lynn to play and we were ready for the run-in.”

Durrell is also confident Altrincham have what it takes to reach the play-off final having been part of a York City squad that lost 1-0 to the Robins in both the FA Cup and FA Trophy back in November.

“I’ve never seen a team dominate the play so much, so we will be confident going into this match,” recalled Durrell, who believes part-time Altrincham’s eliminator victory could give them the edge.

“York will be right up for the game and they’ve had a week longer to prepare,” said Durrell. “They are full-time, so they will be fit and sharp, but there isn’t anything that compares to playing competitive games.

“Hopefully with another 90 minutes we will be at our best and if we can get around seven or eight players performing at an eight or nine out of 10 level we will be a match for anyone.”

And preferably, Durrell wants Altrincham to book their place in the play-off final with a victory less stressful than the one over Chester.

At 3-0 up and with a man advantage, the Robins looked destined for a place in the last four, only for Chester to score twice and set up a tense finale.

Durrell, who had been taken off with over 20 minutes to go, said: “We made hard work of it in the end, but in the play-offs you are playing the best teams in the league, so you expect a battle.

“And sometimes it’s tougher to play against 10-men because mentally you think you’ve got the upper-hand, but the lads showed character to get us over the line.”

In the other National League North semi-final, Boston United host Gateshead, who beat Kevin Wilkin’s Brackley on penalties.

Notts County, who have ex-TNS defender Connell Rawlinson and former Chester youngster Tom Crawford in their ranks, host Barnet and Harrogate entertain Boreham Wood in the National League play-off semi-finals.

In National League South, Weymouth host Dorking and Dartford visit Havant & Waterlooville.