Ollie Pearce tells York City players to stay aloof of title race which has fans queuing through the night

With only 1,590 tickets available in a Willbutts Lane stand which has had its capacity reduced all season, and none online so the club could ensure only season-ticket holders got them, there were queues around York's Community Stadium on Monday night. Within a couple of hours of the ticket office opening, it had sold out.

The reason for the excitement is clear: either York or their hosts for the final match of the regular season can claim the title by winning their last five games. Dale's three-point lead and York's goal difference, 20 better, will see to that.

Whoever misses out will have to chance the play-offs, almost certainly having won over 100 points. With Carlisle United, who could yet reach 99, and Scunthorpe United, who have denied York three this season and Rochdale four, awaiting, that carries no guarantees.

Eighth-placed Halifax Town hope to be there too, but their fate is not entirely in their own hands.

Last week showed there are more twists and turns to come.

On Tuesday York were beaten by relegation-threatened Gateshead, losing control of their fate, only for Rochdale to draw at Scunthorpe 24 hours later. Simultaneous goals midway through Saturday's second halves put York top, only for Dale to come from 1-0 down to beat Sutton United with 97th-minute goal.

For fans of both clubs it is a nerve-shredding experience, but Pearce, whose cool penalty made the difference in York's 1-0 win over Woking, says players have to rise above it.

"You've just got to block it out," he said. "That's for the fans to get involved in but as players we just need to focus on us and trying to get three points.

"Both teams have had unbelievable seasons. Every time we come off the pitch and they win, we say fair play to them, they keep winning. And they're probably doing exactly the same to us.

"There's a long way to go – well, not a long way, but there's still plenty of football to be played – so it's going to be an interesting end."

York's experiences last season, when they claimed 96 points but were pipped to the title by Barnet, then knocked out of the play-offs by Oldham Athletic, certainly raises the stakes for a club with a proud Football League history, but 33-goal Pearce hopes it can help them too.

"A lot of us have learnt from last year and we've also got some experienced bodies in the building as well that have been there and done it so I think that will help," he argued.

"Our focus is on getting three points every game and hopefully trying to win the league."

And with goal difference taken out of the equation by the exploits of Pearce and co – York have scored 106 league goals this season when the next best, Boreham Wood, have just 82 – Pearce says the Minstermen cannot afford to get wrapped up in scorelines, only results.

"Earlier on in the season we were getting threes and fours, and if we'd scored three or four on Saturday I don't think anyone could have said anything,” he commented.

"I'd love to know how many times in the last three or four months the opposition have had blocks on the line or in the six-yard box, or keeper pulling off good saves, or us missing good chances, to be fair.

"But we know it's going to be like that. We stick together, keep going, and we never know when it's over.

"We've just got to keep focussing on ourselves, keep trying to get three points, and what will be will be at the end of the season.

"Now it's a big Easter weekend with two games in three days. We go to Boston on Friday full of confidence. It’s not an easy place to go but we need three points, so we're going there to try and get them."

For those in the queue disappointed to miss out on tickets for Spotland, the 12.30pm kick-off will be streamed live on National League broadcaster DAZN, and the Minstermen are in discussions about hosting a screening should the match turn into the title decider it is threatening to be.

If a second consecutive play-off campaign would be a major disappointment for York, a fourth in six seasons would represent success for Adam Lakeland’s Halifax, who are in a three-way battle for seventh place.

They have played three more games than Southend United – like them on 62 points with a goal difference 20 better – and even after Tuesday's game at Wealdstone, Hartlepool United have one in hand.

But Southend's final two away matches are at Halifax (April 18) and Hartlepool (21), whilst Pools host Rochdale on Easter Monday.

In what has been far from a classic season of English league football, the queues snaking around York's Community Stadium on Tuesday showed the Conference is a gratefully-received exception to the rule.