YORK City boss Jackie McNamara admitted he was frustrated that the best performance of his reign came with the club’s Football League status hanging by the slimmest of threads.

Goals from Bradley Fewster, Lewis Alessandra and Luke Summerfield saw City defeat promotion-hopefuls Portsmouth 3-1 as Scott Flinders’ blunder gifted Gareth Evans a consolation for the visitors.

With Newport – the only team the Minstermen can now catch – nine points ahead, McNamara’s side must now look to win their remaining three matches and hope the Welsh club lose theirs, while an inferior goal difference of 11 is also overturned.

It remains a highly unlikely long shot and the City chief said: “It’s frustrating because you obviously always want that level of performance and then we wouldn’t be in the position we are in.

“I know it’s in them but, maybe, the pressure was off a bit and that helped them mentally because the players’ mindsets has been the big problem all season. It’s important not to get carried away with one result and I won’t be jumping around because the game will not define our season as is quite clear, but we won, got three points and entertained the fans, so it was enjoyable and better for everybody all round.”

With a trip to high-fliers Accrington next on Saturday, followed by a home match against Bristol Rovers and a final-day visit to Morecambe, McNamara added: “There’s no reason why we can’t repeat this performance.

“Momentum is a big thing in football. We’ve only had back-to-back wins once this season and we go to Accrington with nothing to lose and have got to enjoy the match in the same manner.

“We need to bottle this performance and let it out in every game. If we do our jobs, then we can just see what happens and, if you told me now, we could go into the last game at Morecambe needing a lot of goals to stay up, then I would bite your hand off for that chance.”

Summing up his team’s efforts against Pompey, the ex-Celtic captain added: “We were excellent to a man.

“All three goals were fantastic, as was our passing and movement. The players did everything I asked of them and it was the best performance since I’ve been here.

“We’ve had good displays before and not taken advantage of situations. I’ve been saying for a while somebody was going to get a hiding and it could have been this game because we might have had three or four more goals.

“They got a goal back out of nothing because of a bad mistake from the keeper, but we still had more chances and I think we saw a difference from the team that lost 6-0 at their place. We looked stronger and fitter than the opposition, which was pleasing after playing so long with ten men at the weekend.”

McNamara also highlighted the performances of several individuals and reserved particular praise for Josh Carson, who was given a rare start out of position at left back.

“I thought Kyle Cameron was outstanding alongside Scot Bennett and it was Luke Hendrie’s best game for York with his energy, defending and ball in for the second goal,” the City boss declared. “Josh Carson also deserves a special mention because he did very well in a position that’s not his usual one.

“I thought he was excellent and he did himself justice having only found out he would be playing on the day of the game.”

Summerfield, meanwhile, scored the goal of the game with a 30-yard thunderbolt and McNamara said: “It was a fantastic goal and he’s got that in his locker.”