MIDFIELDER Simon Heslop feels York City’s switch to 4-3-3 will help him become a regular on the scoresheet.

The York-born, 30-year-old netted five times last term, equalling his best tally for a single campaign with former clubs Halifax and Oxford.

But Heslop bagged a brace during Saturday’s 4-3 triumph over Nuneaton and Sean Newton has also netted twice having been moved forward into midfield after the 3-4-3 formation was dispensed with following the 1-0 opening-day home defeat to Telford.

With the extra insurance of anchorman Adriano Moke sitting in front of the back four, Heslop now believes he can rack up his highest goal return in a 12-year career.

“Having a man behind us in midfield allows me and Newts to get forward whereas, as part of a two, you have got to be more disciplined and it’s a bit harder to do that,” Heslop pointed out. “In this formation, there are no excuses for the two side players not to get forward and add goals and I think it suits my game, because it allows me to use my energy to get into the box more.”

While the tactical change might lead to Heslop becoming more potent in open play, both his goals at the weekend came following corners that were cleared to the edge of the box but, as he revealed, his first duty when stationed there is not to get on the scoresheet.

“I’m on the edge of the box just to make sure the ball doesn’t comes out of there really,” Heslop explained. “Usually, there’s somebody on me, but I found myself unmarked for both goals and got two free shots on goal.

“The result means everything, but it’s always nice to score. I hit the first one really well and cleanly, so I was pleased with that and it was nice to back it up with another in the second half.

“We do the odd volleying drill at the end of training every now and again but, now I’ve scored two, maybe the next one will end up out of the ground!”

Despite being on the verge of his first-ever senior hat-trick when Michael Rankine was awarded a 69th-minute penalty, Heslop also had no problem with the former assuming responsibility from 12 yards, reasoning that three points were far from assured at the time.

He added: “It would have been nice to score a hat-trick, but I wasn’t too bothered.

“They had just made it 3-1, so the game wasn’t dead and buried and it was important one of the forwards took it and made sure. As it was, we ended up winning 4-3, so that goal settled the game.”

Having been pegged back twice in an otherwise one-sided game against lowly Nuneaton, including conceding two goals in the final seven minutes, Heslop also admitted similar lapses could prove more costly during Saturday’s trip to a Southport side situated two positions higher in the National League North table than the fifth-placed Minstermen.

“I thought we got a bit complacent at the end of both halves against Nuneaton and you can’t afford to do that,” Heslop declared. “I think we’ll find ourselves on top in a lot of games this season and ahead convincingly, hopefully, so we’ve got to make sure we don’t throw away any points.

“We were lucky to get away with not doing that on Saturday, but we were holding on a bit at the end after being so comfortable in parts of the game. Southport have started reasonably well and are up there.

“They were in the National League with us last season, so we’re expecting a tough game, where we will have to be at it for the full 90 minutes, which we weren’t in our last match.”