OUT-OF-FAVOUR winger Anthony Straker has promised to entertain York City's supporters when he gets his next chance in the team.

Straker has failed to start any of the Minstermen's last nine games and has only featured for 15 minutes during the first four matches of Russ Wilcox's managerial reign.

But the Grenada international, who shared The Press' August Player of the Month award with fellow flank man Michael Coulson, is remaining patient and positive as he awaits a recall.

The 26-year-old attacker said: "The boys have done well and I'm just sitting and waiting for my time. It's just nice to be part of a squad that's winning again.

"The manager watches what you do every day in training and that keeps you positive. My time will come and, when it does, I will get the ball and show the fans what I can do, because I came here to play football."

Straker has also welcomed the passing ethos Wilcox has brought to Bootham Crescent, adding: "He likes us to play a different style of football, which the boys are buying into.

"We are getting the ball down and enjoying our football, which helps you get results and that's why we are all in the game - to play football."

Straker, meanwhile, is well aware of the profile a good run in the FA Cup can bring, ahead of tomorrow's FA Cup first-round home clash with AFC Wimbledon.

The former England under-18 international scored three goals for former club Southend last season as the Essex club reached the fourth round before bowing out to Premier League Hull City in front of a five-figured crowd double the norm at Roots Hall.

"Some people call them special occasions and it was packed out," Straker recalled of the Tigers test. "For the fans, it's a great chance to see higher-league opposition come to play their home-town team and we took the game to them.

"We stood our ground but they got a late goal and we crumbled a bit as a team after that and lost 2-0, but we took them the majority of the way, which was enjoyable and the atmosphere was really good. No matter what level you play at, the more times you can experience those types of games, the more great memories you will have later in life.

"It can be a big boost to put yourself up against so-called higher opponents and see where you are as a team, even if you're not doing well in the league. It's a nice opportunity to see if you would be capable of competing if you were playing at their level and you know it can take you far, if you do well in it."

Straker is now hoping he can play some part as City enter this season's competition against the Dons.

"I've scored a few goals in the tournament and I enjoy it," he admitted. "I will obviously be on the bench this time around but, hopefully, there might be an opportunity to come on and get involved later in the game.

"Wimbledon are always a tough side to play against but they are away from home and the onus is on us to win the game. It should be harder for them to come here with our crowd behind us."

Straker added that a good Cup run need not impact on a club's league form despite the Shrimpers' exit against Hull heralding the start of a 13-game run without a win that threatened to derail the club's play-off push.

He reasoned: "If you get to a decent stage in the Cup, you may focus on that a bit more, but you have to enjoy the competition and cope with the switch back to league matches by dealing with things one game at a time."