SKIPPER Russell Penn has explained that he was never going to react petulantly after missing out on an instant recall to the York City team.

The 29-year-old midfielder started on the bench at Stevenage on Saturday, having sat out the previous weekend's trip to Newport with a foot injury.

City went on to enjoy a 3-0 victory in South Wales without their captain and, while Penn admitted he might have been less understanding about manager Russ Wilcox's decision not to change a winning team earlier in his career, he put up no argument when named on the bench at Broadhall Way.

"I would have been unhappy not playing at Stevenage, if I had been in the team that had won 3-0 against Newport," reasoned Penn.

"Five or six years ago, I would have probably moaned, but I'm a bit more experienced now. It's about the team and I was just happy to play my part in the second half."

Penn helped tee up Luke Summerfield's second-half equaliser after his 68th-minute introduction to enhance his chances of a recall to the starting line-up for Saturday's home match against Carlisle.

On his contribution, the former England C international said: "I didn't think I'd be coming on so early, and didn't know if I was going to get on at all, but I just wanted to be out there playing.

"We went a bit ragged after conceding the second goal and we just needed to be a bit more disciplined so, hopefully, I helped out the team in some way.

"We've been trying to do that short corner for Luke's goal in quite a few games and, luckily, Stevenage switched off and didn't see me coming because, if you can get the taker ten yards closer to the goal from a corner, it helps.

"Luke had a shot, which was fantastic – even though I thought it was a cross, to be honest! It was well-worked though and we also tried it a couple of times last season and got goals from it."

Penn went on to reveal that he had full confidence in summer signing Scott Flinders when Brett Williams stepped up to win the game for Stevenage with a late penalty, reiterating the lengths that the club go to ensure the first-team keeper has every chance of saving spot-kicks.

"I really fancied Scotty – and I'm not just saying that after the event," declared Penn. "If he guesses the right way, then it's going to be a save, in my eyes, but that's not just down to him.

"(Goalkeeper coach) Andy Leaning, (reserve keeper) Michael Ingham and (performance analyst) Luke Foulkes all help him with his homework before games. They had highlighted the last five penalties Stevenage had taken, so it's a team effort really."

Having taken four points from a possible six on the road, Penn is now challenging the team to follow the time-honoured path to football success by backing up any away rewards with regular home triumphs.

Four of the next five matches are at Bootham Crescent, including next month's Johnstone's Paint Trophy home clash with Doncaster, and Penn argued: "I feel we've been quite comfortable at home bar the Mansfield match, when we started really well but lost the game.

"Every other match, including pre-season, has been really good. We just need to make sure we pick up points now because getting one at Stevenage is only good if you take three from your next home game.

"If we do that, we can start moving up the table because we're definitely good enough to do that."

The Minstermen have only gone three games or more without a defeat on three occasions during Wilcox's 11-month reign and Penn realises consistency will now be the key to progress this term, with a Carlisle team – who narrowly escaped relegation last season but have lost just one of their opening seven Sky Bet League Two fixtures – up next.

Penn admitted: "Every game is tough and I've never known a league like it. If you look at the results, everyone beats everyone.

"There's nothing in games and if you stay unbeaten for four or five games at this stage of the season, you're right up there in that top seven, so that's what we've got to look to do.

"We've been given a platform with four points from six away from home and have now got four of our next five games at Bootham Crescent, so we've got to look forward to that."

Penn is also hoping the foot problem that has dogged him during the opening month of the new campaign is now easing.

"I'm not 100 per cent there but the weekend I had off for the Newport game did wonders and I had a steroid injection last week too," he explained. "Hopefully, it will start settling down and it's good at the moment that we're not having midweek games to help with the recovery."