YORK City are set to persist with a back four after ditching their three-man defence at Forest Green.

Manager Jackie McNamara had hoped his team could adopt a fluent 3-4-3 approach this term, but felt his side looked more creative and comfortable playing through the middle of the park at the New Lawn, rather than out form the back and down the flanks.

City still lost 2-1 in Gloucestershire, but the performance was a marked improvement on the 6-1 drubbing at Gateshead and, ahead of tomorrow’s home meeting with second-bottom Woking, McNamara said: “We looked at the three for solidity, but it only works if everybody gets on the ball and wants it at the back.

“Some weren’t doing that as well as we wanted and you also need your wing-backs driving forward. With four back there at Forest Green, I thought we controlled the midfield and the front two looked a threat with Aidan (Connolly) in behind them.”

Former Hull City under-21s skipper Matty Dixon, meanwhile, has been told to fulfil his potential on the field as he prepares to start back-to-back games for only the second time since January.

“Matty has got a lot of attributes and we’ve got to see them out on the pitch, because we see them all the time in training,” McNamara explained. “He’s a very good footballer, with good energy and, hopefully, he’ll take a bit of confidence from his performance at Forest Green into this weekend.”