MATT Fry is hoping he has convinced York City boss Gary Mills that he is deserving of a future under the former double Wembley-win

The 26-year-old defender, who reached the National League play-offs with Braintree last season, has been in and out of the side since Mills’ return to Bootham Crescent in October and was hauled off at half-time during last month’s 4-1 home defeat to Lincoln.

But the former West Ham reserve has since impressed during City’s last two matches – the 1-1 home draw with Guiseley and unlucky 1-0 defeat at Tranmere.

With Mills farming out Jack Higgins, Ben Clappison and Josh Robinson, Fry was the only recognised centre back on the club’s books prior to Aarran Racine’s arrival on loan from Forest Green last week and, having survived the cull, he is now determined to carry on proving his worth to bottom-of-the-table City’s cause.

“I take quite a lot of things personally and I’ve been under quite a lot of pressure after the gaffer said he wanted more centre halves,” Fry pointed out. “But, in the last two games, I’ve played like I did during the whole of last season, which is what got me my move to York.

“Hopefully, I have instilled some confidence in the gaffer and he’s seen what I’m about and what I can do, although I’m really disappointed I’ve not been able to do that since the start of the season.”

An honest Fry freely admits he could have been better this term as one of a handful of summer signings with experience at the level City now ply their trade, but also reasoned the recent additions of Jon Parkin, Racine and Rhys Murphy, with their National League know-how, is just what the club needed.

“I came here off the back of a successful season with Braintree as a part-time player and the reason I left a good job was because, having got a taste for it, I wanted more success with a massive club like York,” Fry explained. “I didn’t give up what I had to be where we are now, so it’s been really disappointing.

“We’ve not been good enough since day one and I would be the first to hold my hand up and say that, as I was brought in because I had experience of this league. I don’t think we probably had enough players, though, who knew what it was like to go to places like Gateshead in midweek, knuckle down and get a draw if you have to, but the gaffer has brought in people who know all about that now and they are good players.”

Ahead of this afternoon’s FA Trophy home clash with Worcester City, meanwhile, Fry has highlighted the importance of the competition for the club’s supporters and the players’ confidence, as they bid to end a winless run that currently stands at 18 fixtures.

“Winning breeds confidence and we can take that from the Trophy into the league,” the Gravesend-born defender added. “We also know the competition is in the hearts of the supporters and that they have good memories of it.”

While confessing that Tranmere’s 93rd-minute winning goal was another body blow last weekend, Fry went on to stress that the team must now build on the improved display at Prenton Park.

“I think a neutral spectator would have struggled to tell which team was at the bottom of the table and which was at the top so, when the 93rd minute goal went in, it was a case of looking up to the sky and thinking what more do we need to do, because a point would have been terrific in terms of raising spirit and moving us forward,” Fry explained. “But the gaffer said we could take a lot of positives from the game and he’s right.

“We’ve had a week to put in some good work on the training field and just have to get over it now. I always try and live by the 24-hour rule anyway, where you analyse one game and then it’s gone, so you look forward to the next one.”