JACKIE McNamara has become the first-ever York City manager to start his tenure with three successive defeats.

Following a 2-1 home reverse to Plymouth, the former Dundee United chief has set an unwanted club record, previously shared by Dick Duckworth and Billy Sherrington, who began their respective reigns with back-to-back losses in 1950 and 1930.

The statistic is more an indictment of the problems McNamara has inherited at Bootham Crescent rather than any reflection of his leadership ability but, nevertheless, it is a sequence that he will not want to extend any further.

City’s flaws are deep-seated – only bottom-four rivals Yeovil and Newport have been defeated in the last 20 league games – but, while the ex-Celtic skipper is identifying reasons for the club’s travails, the solutions are proving more troublesome.

McNamara fielded his third different back four in as many games against the Pilgrims but was still left ruing two more poorly-conceded goals by the break and his side could have trailed by more following a nervy defensive display.

That opening 45 minutes was as poor as any this season, albeit against opponents who are full of confidence, courtesy of their position five points clear at the top of the Sky Bet League Two table.

Player-coach James Bittner, making his Football League debut at the age of 33 in place of the injured Luke McCormick, was a virtual bystander in goal as the hosts mustered just one first-half shot and, even then, James Berrett’s heavily deflected 20-yard effort only required a routine catch.

At the other end, City shot-stopper Scott Flinders was, once more, in the thick of the action as the hosts struggled to combat the intelligent and incisive movement of Graham Carey, Craig Tanner and Gregg Wylde.

The visitors were also quick to close down and swarm around their Minstermen counterparts, who consequently surrendered possession frequently and carelessly in dangerous areas of the pitch.

It took the introduction of 36-year-old youth development phase coach Jonathan Greening – 18 months after hanging up his professional boots with Nottingham Forest – to level the playing field after he was introduced at half-time.

Greening, re-registered as a player on non-contract terms, made aspects of the game look so simple after his team-mates had over-complicated matters for long spells of the first period.

His guidance brought some cohesion and purpose to the team’s play too, relieving Ben Godfrey of that weighty responsibility at the age of 17. Unshackled, Godfrey was free to operate further up the pitch and, with the third of his second-half chances, blasted home a ten-yard consolation deep into stoppage time to score his first senior goal in front of the David Longhurst Stand. It was, at least, an encouraging finish to a game that had begun in ominous fashion.

A weak Winfield clearance led to a second-minute chance that Carey fired across the face of goal and, after a mix-up between Femi Ilesanmi and Michael Collins, Jake Jervis’ 12-yard effort also forced a save from the City keeper.

Tanner tormented Ilesanmi, meanwhile, during the opening exchanges, riding his challenge to fire narrowly wide from the edge of the box and also ghosting past the City left back before playing a clever reverse pass to tee up a ten-yard opportunity for Carey that Flinders parried away.

But the Pilgrims made their pressure count on 19 minutes when Carey raided down the left and Jervis stole in front of Winfield to chest past Flinders at his near post from five yards.

Derek Adams’ men then took their foot off the gas a little, but still doubled their advantage a minute before the interval.

A quick burst of pace by Wylde left City right-back Eddie Nolan for dead near the touchline and, after reaching the byline, he then pulled the ball back for Carey, who swept a firm, first-time 12-yard strike past Flinders.

Greening’s appearance for the second half prompted a rousing reception from the Bootham Crescent faithful and, just moments later, Berrett headed wide from an Ilesanmi cross.

At the other end, Carey’s rising 20-yard shot was scrambled behind by Flinders and the same player also hit the top of the crossbar from out on the right flank just before the hour mark.

But the Devon visitors threatened little more for the rest of the game as Greening and fellow substitute David Tutonda sparked life into the Minstermen.

Greening drove over from 25 yards and Tutonda pulled the ball back for Godfrey to clear the crossbar from just inside the penalty box.

Good skill on the left by Greening was then complemented by a pinpoint cross that saw Godfrey’s downward header gathered by Bittner.

Tutonda also called the former Salisbury keeper into action low to his left from the edge of the box before he bamboozled the visitors’ defence with a flurry of stepovers to set up Godfrey who smacked in a ten-yard shot during the ninth of 11 added-on minutes following Winfield’s second-half injury.

It was a deserved consolation, both for the youth-team graduate and the team, even if it was of little comfort as a fifth straight defeat was confirmed moments later.

City

Scott Flinders: 7 – kept busy again and prevented a heavier defeat with his saves

Eddie Nolan: 5 – troubled down the left by the leaders’ lively attackers

George Swan: 6 – reasonably solid and snuffed out danger on occasions

Dave Winfield: 5 – struggled to clear his lines at times before being stretchered off

Femi Ilesanmi: 6 – found going tough against Tanner early on but typically whole-hearted

Michael Collins: 5 – found it hard to wield an influence on the game before early second-half withdrawal

STAR MAN Ben Godfrey: 7 – determined from start to finish and deserved first senior goal

James Berrett: 5 – drifted out of game at times and posed little attacking threat

Rhys Turner: 5 – lacked ideas on the ball and gave away possession

Vadaine Oliver: 5 – shackled by Plymouth defence and immobile for periods

Michael Coulson: 6 – grafted away without any real reward in final third

Substitutes: Jonathan Greening 7 – quality (for Turner, 46), David Tutonda 7 – positive (for Collins, 55), Keith Lowe (for Winfield, 72).

Subs not used: Michael Ingham, Anthony Straker, Jake Hyde, Emile Sinclair.

Plymouth James Bittner, Kelvin Mellor, Curtis Nelson, Peter Hartley, Gary Swayer, Carl McHugh (Josh Simpson, 79), Oscar Threlkeld, Graham Carey, Craig Tanner (Ryan Brunt, 81), Jake Jervis, Gregg Wylde (Lee Cox, 90). Subs not used: Tyler Harvey, Ben Purrington, Louis Rooney, Cory Harvey.

Plymouth star man: Carey – his roving role unsettled hosts

Referee: Richard Clark rating: 6/10 – not as poor as on previous visits

Booked: Threlkeld 47.

Attendance: 3,654 (721 from Plymouth)

Shots on target: City 4, Plymouth 6

Shots off target: City 4, Plymouth 5

Corners: City 7, Plymouth 4

Fouls conceded: City 7, Plymouth 11

Offsides: City 1, Plymouth 3