YORK City boss Nigel Worthington hailed an “outstanding” debut by Ryan Brunt even though the on-loan Bristol Rovers striker squandered an excellent stoppage-time chance to clinch victory against Portsmouth.

Brunt missed the target from four yards with a 93rd-minute header but Worthington felt the 21-year-old forward gave City’s attacking play an extra dimension during Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Bootham Crescent.

He also completed his first 90 minutes in 12 months after missing the final six months of last season due to knee surgery and falling out of favour at the Memorial Stadium this term.

On Brunt’s display, Worthington said: “The big man’s header would have capped a perfect debut because I thought he was outstanding for us. He got hold of the ball and was very strong up there.

“He was a handful for Portsmouth and didn’t allow them to get any free headers. His all-round play was very good and he was prepared to have a pop at goal.

“Some of the positions he took up were very intelligent for a young man and we were in two minds whether to take him off or keep him on and hope that he didn’t get injured, so it’s good that he got through the match and we will make sure he recovers properly for the next game. He was a big plus for us and the kind of presence we have been looking for up there.”

Worthington also had praise for recalled midfielder Lewis Montrose, who replaced Luke Summerfield in the starting line up despite having played just one minute of league football this season prior to the Pompey clash.

The 25-year-old midfielder has been told, however, that he must continue impressing to keep his place in the team with Worthington adding: “Big Lewis deserves credit because I thought him and Russ (Penn) did a super job for us in the middle.

“I felt we had been looking a bit lightweight in midfield and we needed somebody to put a head and foot in there and really compete. He did that in good style and I am pleased for him.

“He’s one of those players who has been in and out of the team but he never really moans and his attitude has been spot on. He has got his reward for that by getting back into the team.

“His performances will now determine whether he stays in the side or not but his endeavour and enthusiasm for the team and club is what we need.”

The third change City made to their first XI against the 2008 FA Cup winners saw John McCombe replace injured centre-back Dave Winfield – a switch Worthington revealed he would have made before the latter was sidelined on the eve of the game.

“I named the team on Thursday when Dave was fit,” the City chief explained. “He then picked up a slight thigh strain on Friday but I was going to make the change anyway and I thought John and Keith were very good at the heart of the defence.

“Clean sheets are the foundation you need to move forward. It allows you to try and nick a game and, if Ryan’s chance had gone in at the death, that would have happened.”

Having been unhappy with his team’s previous four displays, Worthington felt the standard against Pompey was closer to what he demands from his players, saying: “I was very pleased with the performance.

“It was us getting back to what we should be and it’s important we maintain that now. In the first half, the ball was a bit like a hot potato for both teams, but we stuck in there.

“Losing Michael Coulson and Wes Fletcher to injury threw a bit of a spanner in the works but you have to deal with that and rise to the challenge and I felt we pushed them back in the second half and created a bit more. They might have won the game, but we might have done too.”

Coulson limped out of the action after just four minutes while Fletcher exited proceedings on the stroke of half-time and Worthington is waiting to learn the extent of their problems.

“Hopefully, they won’t be too bad because we haven’t got the biggest of squads but we will need to assess them both and see where we are,” he added. “Couls felt a bit of a pull in his calf and Wes came off before he did more damage after feeling something in his hamstring.”

With the Minstermen still without a home win this term and, having tasted victory just once in their last 16 games – against a ten-man Stevenage side - Worthington has now challenged his players to emulate Exeter.

The Devon side did not win any of their opening eight matches but have since climbed to within three points of a play-off place by pocketing 12 from a possible 12.

“We are almost a quarter of the way through the season and there’s a lot of football left,” Worthington reasoned. “We’ve got to try and get some momentum going and get some wins under our belt.

“There’s nothing between our position and the teams in seventh or eighth if you can put a little run together. Exeter are a beacon really, in that respect, because they had a very tough start results wise, but have now won four on the spin.

“We have to keep faith, work hard with what we have and try to make it happen. I have no qualms if the players give me and the football club everything and they did that against Portsmouth.”