AIDAN Connolly has told York City manager Gary Mills he wants to leave the club.

The Scottish winger was not included in the squad that lost 2-0 at Chorley today with youth-team defender Aaron Haswell making the bench instead and Mills revealed afterwards that he has handed in a transfer request.

Connolly was given his first start of the season during the 2-0 bank-holiday defeat to FC United of Manchester before being replaced early in the second half.

He missed the whole of pre-season after calf surgery, having also endured an injury-interrupted campaign last term, but has informed Mills that he now wants to seek pastures new.

On that decision, the City boss revealed: “He does not want to play for the football club. He came to me after training in the week and told me he wants to leave.

“He’s not happy and that’s all I know. I wish he had told me how he felt before last Monday, because he wouldn’t have played then.”

Mills went on to admit his side got what they deserved at Lancashire part-timers Chorley, with Josh Wilson bagging a first-half brace and the visitors failed to muster a response.

A sloppy back pass by Hamza Bencherif led to the first goal and Mills also felt central-defensive partner Dan Parslow might have been culpable for the second, adding: “We got what we deserved.

“It was very, very poor from start to finish. We conceded a horrendous, diabolical first goal and never recovered from that.

“It set the tone for the day. Hamza made a right mess of it and the second goal looked very sloppy as well.

“I think it came after a Pars miskick and that probably typified our game but, as poor as you can play and we never really looked like scoring even though their keeper made a couple of saves, you can still come away with a result if you defend properly. Chorley’s not the easiest place to go and play and you have to play in a certain way, but we were just second best and, even when we went longer, the balls forward weren’t good enough.”

Mills went on to issue an apology to City’s supporters and insisted that his team must perform 100 per cent better at Spennymoor on Tuesday night.

“I’m sorry we performed like that,” the City boss declared. “I can’t put into words how our fans must feel and I feel sorry for them.

“They have been through a horrendous time and they won’t have liked what they saw at Chorley. We’ve not won in three games, which is a massive disappointment for me.

“The fans came all this way to support us and do so through thick and thin and I can’t stick up for anything after that. Every team loses football matches but, when you do in the manner we did, it hurts.

“Now, we’ve got to go to Spennymoor and show what we’re made of by playing 100 per cent better. Me and Cask (football consultant Darren Caskey) have to look at things and get it right on Tuesday.”

But Mills refused to accept that the Chorley display was similar in standard to his side’s two previous contests – the 1-1 draw at Southport and 2-0 defeat to FC United of Manchester, arguing: “I don’t think the performance can be compared to those games.

“I thought we played well against FC United, but didn’t take our chances.”

Alex Whittle made way for Jassem Sukar at half-time as Mills switched to a back three, while Michael Rankine was also withdrawn early in the second period after struggling on the left side of City’s attack before being replaced by Kaine Felix.

Explaining both decisions, the City boss pointed out: “They were going down the sides a lot, because the forwards weren’t dropping into the areas I asked them to.

“When the ball went into the forwards, it kept coming back too and that makes things difficult.”

Connor Smith, meanwhile, was given his full debut, initially in the midfield anchorman role that has proved troublesome to fill since Adriano Moke pulled a thigh muscle.

On the former Hartlepool attacker’s first City start, Mills reasoned: “Connor worked hard and he’s an honest lad.

“I feel for him a bit coming into a game like that, but he gave everything.”