YORK City stalwart Dan Parslow believes he can up his goal tally for the club by getting “on the end of the ball a bit more.”

Parslow sits 15th on the Minstermen’s all-time appearances list on 342 and is closing in on Happy Wanderers’ heroes Sid Storey (354) and Gordon Brown (351), as well as 1980s legend Derek Hood (354).

But the 31-year-old defender’s opening goal during Saturday’s 5-0 victory at Bradford Park Avenue was only his fifth in City colours and, having also netted the first pre-season goal at Farsley Celtic, the ex-Wales under-21 international feels he and fellow centre-back Hamza Bencherif, who is yet to score in 24 matches for the club despite hitting the target 28 times in his career, can weigh in with their share this term.

“I’m flying,” Parslow joked about his pre-season and early-campaign potency, before adding: “I don’t get many, but it’s nice to chip in if I can and Saturday’s set us on our way.

“I get thrown into the box enough, so it’s a matter of getting on the end of the ball in a bit more. We’re a big team, with the likes of me and Hamza and, while first and foremost, we want clean sheets because that’s what we pride ourselves on, if we can get some important goals, all the better.”

Parslow’s third-minute header was his first goal in 88 appearances for City – the last coming during a 3-1 triumph at Barnet in August 2012 - but he remains fixed on keeping them out at the other end and has been pleased with consecutive clean sheets since the switch from 3-4-3 to 4-3-3, saying: “The gaffer has played a back three for a long time, but he’s decided to change to a back four and I think we’re getting there now.

“We were a bit open at Blyth and they had a few opportunities, but we’ve all played as a four before and it’s just a matter of settling back in and getting used to it again. The more we play the system, the more familiar we will get with it and, hopefully, there will be more clean sheets to come.”

Parslow will lose defensive partner Bencherif when he is suspended for Saturday’s home clash against Nuneaton, but the former two-time Press Player of the Year reckons City’s squad have the depth to cope in his absence.

“We’ve got players who can just slot in,” he reasoned. Jass (Sukhur) has come in and looks a very good player.

“Newts (Sean Newton) also went back in defence when Hamza was sent off, so there are plenty of options for the gaffer, but we’ll cross that bridge when we need to, because we don’t need to worry about it yet.”

Having contained former Bootham Crescent team-mate Adam Boyes at the weekend, Parslow could come face-to-face with another familiar forward in Scott Fenwick, who left City in the summer.

Lads at our level tend to travel from club to club, so you come across them quite often. It’s nice playing against old team-mates.

You’ve been up against them in training, so know what they’re about. Adam is a proven scorer at this level and above, but he didn’t really get much services and we were fortunate to get in top early on.

Scott was obviously here last season and we all know his qualities. Darlington will be strong and they have started the season well, so we’ve got to be ready, but we’re hoping to put the Telford defeat behind us and will be full of confidence after our result at Bradford.