YORK City boss Russ Wilcox wants his strikers to score more "Gary Lineker-style" goals after debutant Emile Sinclair opened his account for the club from a couple of yards.

Sinclair's 70th-minute predatory strike, following a well-rehearsed free kick routine, was later painfully cancelled out by Burton substitute Adam McGurk's lucky late goal during a 1-1 draw at Bootham Crescent.

But Wilcox has now challenged the like of City forwards Wes Fletcher and Jake Hyde to follow the example of Sinclair, Lineker and ex-Scunthorpe marksman Billy Sharp to help enhance the team's firepower.

The City boss said: "I was so pleased with the goal because it's something we have worked on at the training ground. Your first goal at a new club is always important for a striker and Emile's done it in his first game in front of our supporters so I'm delighted for him.

"I've spoken to both strikers about wanting to see them between the goalposts when that ball comes into the box. That's where Emile got his goal and it's the kind I want to see my strikers scoring because you don't get too many from 25 or 30 yards in your career.

"People like Gary Lineker showed the importance of taking up positions in between the sticks and Billy Sharp was the best I've worked with at doing it. He didn't get involved in too many other things but he was always in the right place to put the ball in the net.

"Emile did that and his overall game was also good. He got hold of the ball, linked up with Jake and showed a turn of pace and strength."

Wilcox, meanwhile, had mixed feelings about the final outcome, with his obvious disappointment at not closing out victory tempered by a strong display against the automatic promotion hopefuls.

He reasoned: "We were outstanding and deserved to take all three points. We just couldn't quite get that second goal and their keeper was the man of the match.

"I told the players afterwards that they had set a benchmark because we were playing against the team second in the league and looked the better side and created the better opportunities. It was disappointing to concede from a cross with the player's weaker foot but that's how it goes when you are at the top end of the table like they are.

"You get that bit of luck and, when you're near the bottom, it goes against you. I've seen Burton pick up five points from their last three games now and they could have lost all of them but all the teams at the top grind out results.

"We are disappointed because the difference between one point and three is massive as we saw with our back-to-back wins at Christmas. We would have gone up two places in the table before their equaliser but we have to look at the positives.

"We've got 19 games to play and, as leader of the team, I can't be doom and gloom. If we keep performing like we did against Burton, we will pick up results.

"We have got to maintain consistency now because we've been up and down all season."

Wilcox also confessed that a Bootham Crescent playing surface, where big divots of turf are regularly being churned up, is now proving troublesome for his players but the problem is unlikely to be remedied until the end of the campaign.

"It's difficult to get the ball down and play on the pitch and that's very frustrating for the players, myself and the crowd," he admitted. "We are having to mix our game up a bit because of that and be a bit more direct.

"It's coming up in chunks and it will need to be addressed in the summer because there's not a lot we can do this season. The groundsman Chris (Stirk) and his staff are working hard to do the best with what they have.

"He's not been with us long, so I don't want to blame him for it and it's something we've got to deal with because I don't think it will get any better."

Sinclair made the starting line up against Burton at the expense of Fletcher, while fellow new signing Malvind Benning, who is on loan from Walsall, was preferred in the first XI at left back to Femi Ilesanmi with the latter left out of the matchday squad all together.

Explaining that decision, Wilcox said: "Malvind did well because he had to contend with a few bobbles. He made a sound debut and will only get better.

"I've had a good chat with Femi and told him I'm looking for a bit more quality from him. I also felt he has been looking tired as well and that might have something to do with it because he'd played every game this season.

"He was bombing up and down during my early games here, but we've not really been seeing that recently, so I gave him a couple of days' rest and he will be back in training today."