YORK City boss Russ Wilcox has admitted he has been forced into abandoning his footballing principles on Bootham Crescent’s poor pitch.

The Minstermen chief oversaw a 0-0 draw at home to fellow Sky Bet League Two strugglers Carlisle and then confessed that the club are more entertaining and attractive on their travels because of their stadium's churned-up playing surface.

Since Wilcox took charge in October, City have won five more points and scored ten more goals on the road than they have managed on their own torrid turf in league encounters.

On the part the pitch is playing in that discrepancy in form, ahead of another home meeting with Bury on Tuesday night, Wilcox said: “It’s not the way I want my team to play football but we have got to play a bit more direct because the pitch is very dry, bobbly and cutting up. You only have to look at our away record to see the difference it makes.

“We showed at Cambridge, when we won 3-0, how we can play and we want to get the ball down, pass it and create opportunities. We can’t do that at home, which is very frustrating.

“We will just have to play our football away from home where the pitches are better.”

City boss Wilcox described the contest against the Cumbrians, as “desperate, scrappy and horrible” but believed his side might have gone on to win maximum points with Michael Coulson and Emile Sinclair both having second-half efforts kicked off the line in quick succession.

“Both teams were desperate for points and it was quiet a desperate game,” Wilcox pointed out. “We didn’t do enough in the first half pressure wise.

“At set-plays and long throws, I wanted my centre halves up there to score goals but that didn’t happen. I think we then created enough to win in the second half.

“We had two cleared off the line and looked the most likeliest team to score but it was a scrappy and horrible match and, when that’s the case, you want to come away with the points then nobody looks at the performance, but that didn’t happen.”

Tranmere’s 1-0 defeat to Northampton did mean, however, that City put a bit more distance between themselves and the second-bottom Wirral club with Wilcox reasoning: “I am disappointed because I wanted three points but Tranmere lost so we are three points clear of the relegation zone instead of two and our goal difference is the best of the teams down there.

“We’ve also kept three clean sheets at home on the trot. We had to make sure we were still above Carlisle at the end of the game and the point has moved us a bit further away from trouble.”

The City boss was also encouraged by the performance of on-loan Tottenham striker Shaq Coulthirst, who was given his debut as an early second-half substitute for eight-goal, top scorer Jake Hyde.

Hailing the ex-England under-19 international’s impact on proceedings, Wilcox said: “We wanted to shake things up and it wasn’t happening for Jake but we’ve got another game on Tuesday.

“Shaq used his pace to get in behind them and they should have had a player sent off when he was fouled going in on goal because there was no covering defender. I don’t want to see players get red cards but those are the rules.

“He showed what he can offer to this football club. He’s a young lad from Tottenham Hotspur and we should be delighted to have him at York City.

“He can play through the middle and out wide and, where he lines up for us, might depend on the opposition but I am looking forward to working with him. He is strong with his back to goal and can hold the ball up, as well as get in behind defences.

“He also has great feet. Tottenham have high hopes for him and they want to eventually get him into the first team like Harry Kane and other people so, hopefully, he can be a terrific addition and help us get over the line.”

City’s other young on-loan starlet Diego De Girolamo, meanwhile, had to wait until 85 minutes before he was given his chance with Wilcox stressing the importance of not committing too many players forward.

He explained: “Diego’s qualities can unlock doors but we had to make sure, first and foremost, we stayed solid as a group and didn’t lose, while trying to be positive too.

“It’s tempting to start with both him and Shaq because they are both quality players, but you need a defensive mindset as well. You can’t be too gung ho and leave yourself wide open.”

Femi Ilesanmi, meanwhile, was recalled to City’s starting line up after failing to feature in the last nine games as left-back rival Malvind Benning, following Coulthirst's inclusion, fell victim to the rule that permits only five loan signings in any team’s matchday squad.

On that scenario, Wilcox said: “I spoke to Malvind and he’s disappointed but things might be different against Bury when we look at their team. It’s a difficult situation but I want him to stay.

“Femi has worked hard during the period he’s been out. He’s also been disappointed but has reacted in the right way on the training ground.

“He came back in and, while you are always looking for a bit more quality from both full backs in a 4-4-2, we will keep chipping away.”

Wilcox will be looking for a rise in the standard of his side’s corners, too, against promotion hopefuls Bury with a high majority of the hosts’ 11 flag kicks ending up in Carlisle keeper Dan Hanford’s hands.

“Our delivery from corners was shocking,” the City boss lamented. “We had different personnel taking them and, once the keeper had come and got a couple, we needed to get bodies and the big centre halves around him.

“We tried to get that message across but players need to take ownership of decisions on the pitch as well.

“We had one corner that worked well that saw Brad (Halliday) get on the end of one but not hit his shot cleanly. Apart from that, though, they were not good enough.”