By Dave Flett

YORK City summer signing Gary Pearson is hoping that it will be a case of third time lucky during next season's Nationwide Conference campaign.

Pearson, 27, will be spending his third spell in non-League football's highest echelon after previously playing for Stalybridge Celtic and Gateshead.

He suffered relegation with current UniBond League first division outfit Gateshead and Stalybridge are now plying their trade in the newly-formed Conference North.

But Pearson, who has joined City on a free transfer from Darlington, believes his new club have the potential to reach the play-offs and he is probably the most-qualified member of the Bootham Crescent playing staff to make such a statement.

He said: "I have played in the Conference for Gateshead and Stalybridge. We got relegated at Gateshead where there was a funny situation with players leaving and money problems.

"But I have to say it's a really good standard. A lot of players who have not played in there think it's non-league and not as good whereas, in reality, it's actually sometimes better than in the third division.

"Half the Conference teams could cope in the Third Division and half couldn't. It's a lot more physical and hard because you are only going for one automatic spot and I think the foreign influx has knocked people down so that Third Division players are now playing in the Conference.

"Even the Northern and UniBond League are getting stronger but we have got to get back into the Football League where this club belongs and I think we have got a chance if we knit together and get the work done on the pitch.

"With the players that have been brought in, we should be pushing for the play-offs but we can't just talk about it, we have to get results on the pitch."

Pearson, who is hoping to recover from a minor hamstring injury in time to be selected for Tuesday night's home game against Leeds, hails from Chris Brass' home town of Easington and admits that he was pleased to be reunited with his former North-Eastern neighbour when it became clear he had no future at Darlington.

He said: "Towards the end of the season I was not getting in the team at Darlington for my own personal reasons. I know why and that's enough said about that.

"I kept my head down and knew there was a slight interest from Chris Brass. He knows me from home really.

"Our families are from the same area and he got wind that I was available. Luckily York were looking for somebody of my stature."

Early signs in pre-season friendlies suggest Pearson could bring a tough-tackling presence to the City team, as well as the potential for spectacular goals with his powerful shot.

Disciplinary reasons could have led to Pearson's limited chances under David Hodgson last season at Darlington after he was sent off twice in the space of ten September days, having been shown red cards against Carlisle and the Minstermen, and then cautioned four times in six games between November and February 14.

After that final booking, he only featured four more times under Hodgson before the end of the season.

The 27-year-old midfielder, who can also play in defence, admits that he hopes to improve on last season's disciplinary record but believes his style of play might mean yellow cards are inevitable.

He has also promised to carry on his pre-season policy of shooting on sight from long range, saying: "Hopefully, there will be a few spectacular goals next season.

"I've scored a few in the past and I will be trying my luck from long range.

"I don't want to talk about bookings and I want to get away from them but they come with any player. It does not matter who you are.

"Mouthy players who don't tackle can get just as many. I will pick up my fair share but that's just because of the way I play."

Pearson added that he does not mind whether he is used as a midfielder or a centre-back next season as long as he is in the starting line-up, saying: "I have no preference and just want to be in the first XI, which I wasn't at Darlington during the second half of last season.

"I just want to play. It does not matter where, as long as I am in there."