YORK City manager Nigel Worthington wants to bring on-loan Charlton keeper Nick Pope to Bootham Crescent on a permanent basis.

Pope kept a fifth consecutive clean sheet and his 11th in 16 games since the turn of the year during tonight’s 1-0 home win over Torquay.

The 21-year-old shot-stopper is currently third in the pecking order for the first-team gloves at the Valley but Worthington wants him to be City’s number one beyond this summer.

“Nick is a player I would love to sign for this football club,” Worthington admitted.

“He would be playing first-team football if he came here and I think we could add value to him for this football club.”

The City chief, meanwhile, was pleased with the manner in which his side contended with the loss of a crocked Josh Carson last night with Ryan Jarvis recalled to the starting line-up as Will Hayhurst’s deflected, tenth-minute strike secured maximum points.

Worthington is still waiting to hear the full extent of Carson’s suspected medial knee ligament injury – as well as that of top scorer Wes Fletcher – but added: “We were missing a big player like Josh Carson who is a bundle of energy on and off the pitch.

“He’s great around the place but it’s nice, when you lose somebody like that, that you can bring somebody else in and carry on winning games.”

Worthington also reasoned that on-loan Preston winger Hayhurst’s first goal for City – which was diverted past Gulls keeper Martin Rice by team-mate Aaron Downes – was a reward for his willingness to try his luck from the edge of the penalty box.

“Some might say the goal was bit lucky but I always say if you don't shoot, you don't score and something like that can always happen,” the City boss explained.

Full-backs Lanre Oyebanjo and Ben Davies, meanwhile, received plaudits from the former Northern Ireland chief too.

“Lanre is as good a full-back as you can get on his day and I think he has found a good level of consistency this season,” Worthington said.

“With Ben Davies, from a manager’s point of view, he is your first name on the team-sheet and then you fill in the others around it because he’s been so consistent and that’s phenomenal for a young lad of 18.”