ADRIANO Moke expects old club Boreham Wood to play on the counter attack despite being at home to York City this afternoon.

The 27-year-old midfielder spent the first three months of this season with the Hertfordshire club having moved on in the summer from Wrexham, where he played under City chief Gary Mills.

Moke is, therefore, familiar with Wood’s customary gameplan which, at a Meadow Park home where they have conceded just nine goals but only scored 12, involves soaking up pressure and playing on the break.

He said: “They’re a really good side this season and did well against Notts County in the FA Cup. They brought in some important players in the summer and the front three - Morgan Ferrier, Bruno Andrade and Angelo Balanta - are key men, as is Femi (Ilesanmi) at the back.

“They’re always really strong and quick on the counter attack and, during training there, we always worked on that, so we’ve got to watch that. They’re not too bad at set-pieces either and are well-organised at the back.

“They’re hard to break down but, if we play like we have been doing, I’m sure we will do well.”

Moke added that there should be no complaints about the Meadow Park turf, which is regularly trodden by some of the Premier League’s hottest prospects.

“The pitch is nice,” he explained. “Arsenal under-23s play there so it has to be a good surface.”

Ex-Glenn Hoddle Academy graduate Moke left Boreham Wood having only made six league starts this term.

He was similarly limited to 11 first XI Conference appearances during his first spell with City in the 2011/12 campaign and has not featured in a league game this time around since the 1-0 home defeat to North Ferriby on New Year’s Day.

But, as he edges towards his late twenties, Moke is in no mood to be a fringe player, although he argues that, despite this team struggling in the lower reaches of the division, it is just as difficult to nail down and retain a starting place as it was during the double Wembley-winning campaign.

“I played a few games at Boreham Wood, but I’ve been in the Conference for a while now and I’m more experienced and mature,” he reasoned. “I know about this league and I just wanted to play every game.

“The manager swapped people around there and I didn’t want to be a rotation player. I want to be a key player, because that’s what I see myself as.

“I’d love to be involved against them now. I’ve been training well, but it’s a team game and the likes of Lapps (Simon Lappin) and (Sean) Newton have done well.

“It’s tough when they’re doing well in your position, but the last game I played in, we won against Harlow and I’m just waiting to grab the next opportunity with both hands. The last time I was in York, I was a winger and a super-sub really and now we’ve got some really good midfielders like Lapps, Newton and the skipper Hessie (Simon Heslop), who can play in there, so it’s hard to get in this team as well.

“But I’ve won a couple of man-of-the-match awards, which I didn’t do in my last spell and I feel I’ve done well since coming back.”

Moke’s chances of a recall have been enhanced by Lappin’s misfortune with his midfield rival having suffered a season-ending Achilles rupture and, if he is given the nod, the former intends to showcase what he has learned from the ex-Premier League campaigner,

“Lapps will be a big loss to the team,” Moke admitted. “I probably bring something different to the team than him.

“I like to drive with the ball or try and kill the tempo if it’s too high. But I’ve learned a lot from Lapps because he’s experienced and has played in higher divisions than me.

“I’m trying to add the long balls that he plays to my game and I want to add goals as well, because I haven’t scored yet since returning to the club, whereas the likes of Newton and Hessie have been doing.”

Moke also has his sights set on finishing the season at Wembley with the Minstermen back in FA Trophy action next week at home in the quarter finals against Northamptonshire part-timers Brackley.

Having been a 90th-minute replacement when City won the competition in 2012 and then an unused substitute as Mills’ men defeated Luton in the play-off final eight days later, Moke is hoping to play a more prominent role too, if the club progress to non-League football’s May 21 showpiece.

“I’ve not been to Wembley since 2012 and would love to go again with this team,” Moke said. “Even though I was on the bench last time, it was good to see the team win and I think we can do it again.

“We’ve got good players who want to get there for the first time and I’d like the opportunity to play a bigger part than I did five years ago, but I’ve got to take it step-by-step and get in the team again. Then, hopefully, I can stay in until the end of the season.”