YORK CITY winger Connor Smith is ready to carry on filling in at right back if needed.

The 20-year-old attacker was introduced at half-time during last weekend’s 3-2 FA Cup defeat at South Shields, taking over from Dan Parslow as a makeshift full-back in the absence of an injured Josh Law.

It is not clear whether Law, who has a groin problem, will have recovered in time to feature in this weekend’s home game against Brackley but, if not, Smith is prepared to play out of position again if that is what it takes to make his first City start since a summer move from Hartlepool.

Former boss Gary Mills praised Smith’s performance as City fought back to level the scores at 2-2 before going down to Gavin Cogdon’s stoppage-time winner.

Now Smith is looking to get the nod as new manager Martin Gray picks his first XI on Saturday.

Both men were born in Stockton-on-Tees and, on his willingness to be flexible, Smith said: “I’ve played right back and right-wing back before, so I know a bit about those positions and I’m more than capable of playing there.

“It’s been tough not playing and, although it’s always all about the team, as a young player you think of things personally and have to be a bit selfish as well, because you need to be in the side to make a career in football. I don’t pick the team and just have to show what I can do with every opportunity I get and I don’t think I could have done much more (against South Shields), apart from the final result.

“Whenever you’re on the bench, you want to get on and make a difference. It was nice to try and influence the game with some attacking movement by getting on the ball, instead of just knocking it long all the time.

“I’ve been brought up to play that way, although I do know sometimes the ball has to go forward.”

Smith admitted that he was left “sick and disgusted,” meanwhile, by the nature of City’s Cup exit at the hands of the eighth-tier third qualifying round hosts.

“I was absolutely devastated,” he confessed. “From a personal point of view, I can only speak about the second half and it seemed like we had put together a bit of momentum after getting a couple of goals back.

“They had good players, but I felt we were showing that we were a level above at that point but, to then get knocked out by a last-minute corner, was disgusting. We let a lot of people down and I felt sick that we screwed up at the end, especially with me being from up that way.”

Smith watched on in the opening 45 minutes as Jon Worsnop gave away and then conceded an early penalty, before ex-Middlesbrough and Sunderland midfielder Julio Arca escaped the attentions of his City markers to make it 2-0 before the break.

On the first-half performance, he added: “With the first goal, things like that happen, but the second one shouldn’t have done. We also had chances, but didn’t take them.”

Smith stressed too that the players should carry the can for the performance that saw Mills dismissed as manager three hours later.

“The manager wasn’t on the pitch and people can say what they want about tactics, but he made three changes at half-time that changed the game,” Smith reasoned.

“The manager took the blame, but he was on the sidelines. He wasn’t on the pitch to defend the corner – we were.”