YORK City boss Nigel Worthington has hailed the impact of new wingers Josh Carson and Ryan Brobbel following an encouraging 1-1 draw at high-flying Wycombe Wanderers.

Brobbel provided the free-kick delivery for David McGurk’s 64th-minute opening goal on Saturday against hosts who had won their last four matches.

The visitors were forced to settle for a point when Dean Morgan equalised five minutes later but it was the minimum reward third-bottom City deserved with the performances of Carson and Brobbel suggesting the squad is now ready to adopt Worthington’s favoured 4-4-2 formation on a more long-term basis, having switched between that and 4-3-3 this term.

Carson made his second full debut for the Minstermen at Adams Park, following last season’s loan spell from Ipswich.

On-loan Middlesbrough flank man Brobbel, meanwhile, impressed in only his second start for the side with Worthington saying: “I have been looking to play 4-4-2 and, to do that, you need your wide players to be positive and drive forward.

“We have been preaching at them to get at their full-backs and cause them problems all season.

“That perhaps wasn’t happening enough sometimes but, since Josh and Ryan came into the club, they seem to have got the message now and they looked dangerous for long periods.

“We want the wide players to take players on, get crosses in and try to score goals.”

The point meant Worthington’s team avoided extending their losing streak to a fifth match and the City chief admitted he was pleased to bring an end to that sequence.

He added: “It was a very, very good display.

“We didn’t quite get our just rewards but we controlled a lot of the game and created a lot going forward. We looked dangerous at times but also showed real resilience in terms of our back four and the two in midfield.

“To go to Wycombe on the back of their run and the back of our run was not easy and I was very pleased with the performance. I am also pleased with a point and, while I would have liked three, it stopped the rot and we’ve got to build on the display now this weekend.”

The quality of his team’s set-pieces was also not lost on Worthington with Brobbel, Carson and Ben Davies all creating chances with dangerous dead-ball deliveries.

“It was a lovely ball to the back stick for Dave McGurk’s goal and he powered it into the back of the net,” Worthington said. “I was very pleased with the delivery of our set-pieces.

“We work on them a lot but it’s not just about the deliveries. You have to hunt out the ball too, because the crosses can’t always be perfect.”

City have, meanwhile, decided to send on-loan centre-back George Taft back to parent club Leicester.

The 20-year-old defender was originally recruited with McGurk sidelined by injury but the latter’s recovery and Dan Parslow’s return to a slot in the back four meant he had been become fourth in the pecking order for a starting place, also behind recently-dropped club captain Chris Smith.

His departure will now free up room for Worthington to bring in another loan signing if required.

The City boss explained: “George was good enough to come in on loan and the experience will stand him in good stead.

“He has been an excellent professional and ambassador for Leicester City so we will be keeping an eye on his situation but, with the position we are in, there is little time to develop people and we just felt that we will be better to go with experienced players at the back to try to turn things around.”