YORK City boss Jackie McNamara has insisted his decision to pack his squad full of youngsters is a gamble worth taking following Tuesday night's 6-0 debacle at Portsmouth.

Prior to the loan transfer window closing yesterday, McNamara went on a signing spree that saw him recruit Middlesbrough pair Bradley Fewster and Mark Kitching, along with Tottenham's Kenny McEvoy, Bolton full-back Jordan Lussey and Stefan O'Connor, of Arsenal.

The baby-faced quintet are aged between 18 and 21, although McNamara also snapped up 25-year-old free agent Danny Galbraith after agreeing terms with the former Gillingham, Hibernian and Limerick winger today.

The City chief is now considering fielding all five youngsters for tomorrow's home match with Accrington Stanley, even though Lussey and Kitching have never made a professional appearance.

O'Connor has also only made one substitute appearance - albeit in the Champions League - while Fewster has played twice for Boro in the Capital One Cup and McEvoy has three senior starts to his name.

On placing his faith in the under-21 graduates, McNamara said: "It's a little gamble but then I felt going with the teams we did on Tuesday and Saturday was a gamble as well. I'm fortunate to have a fantastic chairman and board who have backed me after seeing the problems there are here.

"This period has been tough but there will be a massive difference in the coming weeks. When you're bringing youngsters in, they will make mistakes, but their hunger, desire and work-rate is important to me because we need energy in the team.

"It's not a punishment coming down to League Two for these players, as it might have been for older ones, so they will be giving everything to progress their careers. Hopefully, they will have a freedom to play and not fear the situation.

"I'm fortunate to have a fantastic chairman and board who have backed me after seeing the problems there are here. This period has been tough but there will be a massive difference in the coming weeks." Having previously lauded winger McEvoy's pace, the City boss also lauded his other new recruits, adding: "Jordan Lussey started off as a midfielder at Liverpool but has played for Bolton at right back and I think he can go in there and do a good job for us.

"Steffan O'Connor is a right-sided centre half who is very comfortable on the ball. He was at the Portsmouth game and I was hoping he would still want to sign for us after watching that and he did.

"Arsenal think highly of him because he's only 18 but he's already played in the Champions League. Mark Kitching is a left back who I saw play well for Middlesbrough under-21s against Everton.

"He's very athletic and has got a good left foot in a position where we've had no competition. Bradley Fewster is somebody who has scored a lot of goals at under-21 level."

To make way for the new loan players - with only five permitted in any matchday squad - David Tutonda, Rhys Turner, Bryn Morris and Michael Collins have all returned to their parent clubs but Huddersfield defender William Boyle will remain at Bootham Crescent.

McNamara, meanwhile, admitted that England under-20 international Morris was unfortunate to see his spell cut short, explaining: "Young Bryn has done really well for us but there were other priorities we needed to sort out. The midfield area should be OK after this game with Russell Penn coming back in and Luke Summerfield not too far away."