GARY Mills hailed the return of former York City favourite Dan Parslow following a 2-1 FA Trophy win at Harlow.

The former Wales under-21 international, who won the Billy Fenton Memorial Clubman of the Year three times during his last nine-year spell at Bootham Crescent and was a member of Mills’ double-Wembley winning squad of 2012, teed up on-loan Cheltenham team-mate Amari Morgan-Smith’s opening goal against the Essex part-timers and slotted in seamlessly on the right side of a back three.

Simon Heslop added to the Minstermen’s lead against the Isthmian League premier division outfit, as the visitors progressed to the last 16 of the tournament, despite Alex Read grabbing a 90th-minute consolation for the hosts.

Dishing out plaudits to Parslow afterwards, Minstermen chief Mills said: “I thought he was excellent and did exactly what I brought him back for. I know what Pars can do – he heads the ball, gets on with his job, reads the game and passes the ball sensibly.

“(City football consultant) Darren (Caskey) hasn’t worked with him before, but he turned and said to me: ‘I can see what you meant about Pars’.”

Mills also went on to herald the performances of Parlow’s fellow defenders, especially “no-panic” Yan Klukowski, as well as keeper Kyle Letheren who, although untested for long periods, made impressive saves at crucial moments.

The City boss added: “Sometimes, things can get overlooked in football and don’t get mentioned, but Kyle made two superb saves with his feet in both halves. He didn’t have many saves to make but, when he was needed, his reactions were great and he deserves high praise for that.

“I also thought the whole back three were excellent with Pars, Sean Newton and no-panic Yan. Although I like footballers, there were a couple of times I was thinking just put it down the line when Yan drags the ball back and keeps it, but that’s the confidence he has got and he reads the game so well.”

Mills was relieved, meanwhile, to avoid a potential banana skin against a Harlow team who had won eight and drawn one of their last nine matches on a 3G surface which City’s National League rivals Eastleigh were knocked out on last month.

“It’s not easy on an artificial pitch – believe me,” he reasoned. “You have to adjust to it, while they play and train on it every week, so they are used to it.

“They’re also dangerous when they put the ball and long throws into your box as they showed against Eastleigh in the last round, so it was great to get the win and get through and I’m delighted for the fans who made the journey, because we’re still on the road to Wembley.”

Mills went on to suggest that ex-Luton striker Morgan-Smith would benefit from scoring the 76th-minute opener on his debut.

“He got into the game the more it went on,” the City chief said of the 27-year-old attacker’s display. “It’s the same old story when new players come in – they have to get used to their team-mates and he had only trained with us once on Friday.

“But he got his goal, which all strikers want to do coming into a new club and that will give him confidence going into the next match.”

Mills went on to reveal that Vadaine Oliver was not named in the matchday squad due to illness following his loan return from Notts County, while Jon Parkin was an unused substitute due to concerns about Harlow’s pitch with the City boss admitting his absence was felt, as first Daniel Nti and, then, Scott Fenwick partnered Morgan-Smith in attack.

“We didn’t want to risk Jon’s knees on the 3G and we missed him because the ball was coming back too often for my liking, either by a failure to hold on to it or because of giving away silly free kicks,” Mills explained.

“That enabled them to get the ball forward, so it will be good to have him back because he’s been superb for us. You know the ball will stick when he’s in the team and that allows us to play a bit more.”

City will also monitor Shaun Rooney this week ahead of Saturday’s return to league action against Barrow at home after he limped out of the action late on, having turning his ankle.

The February 4 league trip to Macclesfield, meanwhile, will now need to be rescheduled as both teams have won through to the third round of the Trophy with ties taking place that weekend.