OUT-OF-CONTRACT attacker Louis Almond is playing for his professional future, according to York City boss Martin Gray.

The 26-year-old forward, who once played for Blackpool in the Championship, impressed as a 69th-minute substitute during this afternoon’s 1-1 home draw with Alfreton Town.

But Almond’s outing was only his second in the first team since suffering a shoulder injury in October and, following his summer move from Tranmere, the Blackburn-born forward has started just 11 matches and scored two goals for the Minstermen.

City chief Gray now wants him to play a “big part” in the club’s final ten games of the regular season and any additional play-off contests, adding: “Louis looked fit when he had his first 90 minutes back for the reserves on Tuesday and I thought he looked very, very good when he came on (against Alfreton).

“He showed bits and bobs and, whilst it’s a shame he didn’t get a goal, he’s got a big part to play and he’s out of contract in the summer, so he’s playing for a new one, whether that be here or somewhere else. I’m hoping we can get him up to speed in the next week to ten days, so he can give us a really good selection problem.”

With previous boss Gary Mills and Almond, himself, admitting that he has never really fulfilled his potential as a player at the start of this season, Gray added: “I can understand that because he can drift in and out of games, when he needs to dominate them.

“He’s a game changer, like Aidan Connolly, who can win you a game, but they have also got to understand the importance of working for the team.”

Gray was left lamenting more defensive sloppiness against Alfreton, meanwhile, as City community coach Tom Allan was left unmarked to head in against his employers from a free kick to cancel out Simon Heslop’s early goal for the hosts.

Delivering his post-match verdict, the City boss confessed: “I’m very frustrated, as the fans were and rightly so. We got off to a great start with a quick free kick and a good goal from Simon Heslop and they didn’t really look like scoring, so I was so disappointed with the manner in which we conceded.

“We didn’t finish them off with a second goal, but we pride ourselves on the work we do before games and everyone has the numbers of individuals they are given to pick up at set-pieces, so people have got to take that responsibility.

“Hamza (Bencherif) didn’t once in the game – and that’s all it was – but it only takes once to cost you points. He lost his man and his man scored.

“If you don’t do your job right, you get punished and we shouldn’t have to be going in at half-time raising the roof. It comes down to a lack of concentration and discipline and you can’t blames coaches or managers for that.

“I’m not throwing players under the bus and there’s no blame culture at the club, but everybody, including me, has to take responsibility for their actions and Hamza did at half-time.”

Despite failing to win, City moved up a place to fifth in the table as next weekend’s hosts Kidderminster lost and Spennymoor were in FA Trophy action, while no team from fourth to tenth picked up maximum points.

But Gray took little consolation from others’ results, declaring: “That makes it more frustrating, because we could have opened up a seven-point gap on eighth place.”

The City boss went on to point out that 25-goal top scorer Jon Parkin’s absence proved significant, as he started his three-match ban, reasoning: “We missed Jon because he’s such a focal point for us and, if you give him an opportunity in the box, there’s always a good chance he’ll get a goal.”

Gray did not mean that as a slight on Parkin’s replacement, though, going on to praise former Whitley Bay forward Alex Kempster on his full debut and suggesting: “I think Alex will work well off a target man and, when Jon gets back, it will take away a bit of the burden on him in terms of the physical side of things, although he did get a whack in the first half and took that in his stride.

“He also showed some great glimpses and touches of what he’s about, before getting a bit tired in the second half. Making his full debut is a big step up for him, with the occasion that goes with it playing four leagues above where he was with Whitley Bay.

“It’s a shame something didn’t drop to him in the box, because he scores goals and we’ve seen that again in training over the last week.”