Defender Dave Winfield believes reserve side should be reintroduced at York City

The Minstermen have been without an official second string since former manager Martin Foyle dispensed with the side five-and-a-half years ago.

Winfield, though, felt the benefit of completing 90 minutes in this week’s 1-0 North Riding Senior Cup victory at Wearside League hosts Redcar Athletic, where the visitors fielded a team of senior fringe players and youth-team scholars.

For the 26-year-old defender, the tie represented his first competitive run-out since he recovered from a thigh injury in November and he reasoned: “Reserve football is a huge thing for players coming back from injury and those on the fringes of the team.

“Everybody wants to be pushing for places in that starting XI, but the only way you can do that is by topping up your match fitness. For all the training you do and extra bits, that’s impossible if you don’t have games, so it would be a very positive thing if the club brought reserve football back and I am all for it because, before this week, Dagenham away was the last match I played back in September.

“I tore a thigh muscle during the last five minutes of that match and, even though I was only injured for five-and-a-half weeks, it’s hard to get back to the level you were at without match fitness, so I was pleased to get 90 minutes at Redcar.”

Winfield is now intent on salvaging a season that has seen him make only three league starts since a summer move from Shrewsbury and the team hover above the relegation zone for most of the campaign.

“This season has been incredibly frustrating for me,” the 6ft 3in defender admitted. “You move to a new club to play football and that’s ultimately what I want to do.

“Injuries aside, I train as hard as I can every single day and I’m just waiting for that opportunity. You always want to be in the starting XI and that’s my mindset at the moment.

“I want to push for a place and that won’t stop until I get one. I have to play games and that’s my target between now and the end of the season.

“It’s why I came here and, the longer you don’t, the more you feel you are falling behind but football changes very quickly for all kinds of reasons and I will just remain positive and keep looking forward.

“For the team, I’m a very driven guy who wants to achieve things so, if we can get out of the position we are in and stay positive, then who knows what can happen.”

Winfield was pushed further down the pecking order for a central-defensive starting place when Wilcox recruited Stephane Zubar on loan from Bournemouth, while he was sidelined but the ex- Wycombe sentinel understood the reasons for the move.

STIFF COMPETITION: York City's Stephane Zubar

“Nobody can hold that against a manager,” he reasoned. “He came into a new situation and saw the areas he needed to improve.

“I don’t have a problem with that. All you can ask for is, when everybody is fully fit and the competition is there, you are given the opportunity to push for a place on an equal footing.”

Zubar is currently serving a four-match ban, meaning Winfield is expected to be named on the bench for tomorrow’s home match with Stevenage.

He also feels the likes of fellow senior professionals Lindon Meikle, Lewis Montrose, Jason Mooney, Tom Platt and Anthony Straker pressed their claims for first-team consideration at Redcar, adding: “The pitch and facilities were good, but the weather wasn’t.

“Sometimes, you have to play to the conditions though and I felt the boys did that. They showed great attitude and character.”

Winfield was the experienced head in a back four at Redcar otherwise manned by teenagers, while other youth-team players Ben Hirst and Ben Godfrey operated further up the pitch.

The Aldershot-born centre-back also feels reserve football forms an important role in the education of such youngsters.

He said: “I was very happy with the young lads at Redcar. They are starting to get their communication and organisation skills to the level we expect of them."