YORK City defender Alex Whittle says the club needs to 'sort out' its away form in order to challenge for promotion.

The Minstermen have lost four out of five on the road so far this season but maintained an unbeaten home record with a goalless draw against fourth placed Tranmere Rovers on Tuesday night.

Leftback Whittle admits that it was 'frustrating' not to beat Tranmere - who had been reduced to ten men by the 50th minute dismissal of Jeff Hughes - but the clean sheet was still a confidence booster ahead of this weekend's home game with Dover.

"We need to win on Saturday," he said. "Four points out of six from two home games is not bad. We are a bit up and down at moment but I think it is coming.

"At home, we are definitely a force and we have not been beaten. The crowd give us that extra boost," he said.

"If we can sort out our away form - with our home form - we will definitely be up there. But we need to get wins together.

"If you get clean sheets, it builds confidence into the back four," he added. "The more clean sheets you get, the more wins you are going to get.We need to get as many as we can and we need to keep that going."

Liverpool-born Whittle, 23, has been impressive since his arrival in the summer from Southport and is a contender for the September Press Player of the Month award.

Manager Jackie McNamara switched to a 4-4-2 formation against Tranmere in the absence of the injured Aidan Connolly and Whittle says he will be happy to adapt his own style of play as and when necessary.

"I like to bomb forward and I am an attacking fullback but I think I can defend as well," he said. "I don't mind a winger playing ahead of me because I can link up with them more. It gives us a bit more going forward when we have a winger.

"Aidan is a good player and I think we missed him (on Tuesday) but Kaine Felix came in and I thought he took his opportunity really well."

Connolly, who has a hamstring problem, will be assessed over the next 48 hours but McNamara is now sweating over the fitness of on loan Sheffield United striker Jake Wright who was stretchered off against Tranmere with a nasty leg injury.