Ashley Chambers tipped to top York City scoring list (From York Press)

Ashley Chambers tipped to top York City scoring list

12:09pm Monday 22nd October 2012 in News By Dave Flett, Sports reporter

SIX-GOAL top scorer Ashley Chambers can still be York City’s leading marksman at the end of the season, according to boss Gary Mills.

Chambers bagged a brace during Saturday’s 3-2 home win over Dagenham & Redbridge to take over from Michael Coulson at the head of the Minstermen goal chart.

The former Leicester attacker finished fifth in the same standings last season after reaching double figures in the Blue Square Bet Premier play-off final against Luton at Wembley.

Matty Blair (20), Jason Walker (18), Paddy McLaughlin (13) and Jamie Reed (12) all outscored the one-time England under-19 international during 2011/12.

But Mills feels Chambers, joined on the City scoresheet by Blair against Dagenham, can finish top of the pile this term, saying: “He comes in for some stick occasionally but I think Ash has been outstanding for us this season and I was delighted for him that he got two goals on Saturday.

“I want him to gamble a bit more at times to get on the end of balls coming into the box and he did that for the header. His first goal was what York City are all about as well and I think he can be our top scorer because he’s capable of getting a goal every week if he wants to.”

Mills also labelled defender Clarke Carlisle a “monster” in reference to his aerial heroics during the final third of a match in which Daggers centre-back Luke Wilkinson got both of his team’s goals.

The City chief said: “I thought Clarke was a monster during the last half-hour for us. He headed so many balls, which is important for us as it enabled us to go and win the game.

“Wilkinson was a nuisance in our penalty box and he’s good at that. He nearly scored another header in the second half, but we addressed that and the players addressed it.

“Clarke headed nearly every ball afterwards and that’s what he’s in the side for and why I brought him here.”

Victory on Saturday meant City avoided their longest run of consecutive home games without a win during any season since the club were relegated from the Football League in 2004.

During that sequence of results, Mills has also remained positive that his team would return to winning ways in front of their own fans.

He added: “We have been threatening to complement our good away results this season and now we’ve done that against a team that had been picking up a lot of points. It was a fantastic draw at Bradford and we’ve followed that up with a home win and that’s how you become successful in football.

“We were ready to set the record straight at home rather than lacking in confidence. The players believe in themselves and, although I was glad there was only a minute left when they got their second goal, we were the better side and deserved to win.

“Dagenham play how they do and you have to win as many second balls as you can. Early on, we didn’t do that but we got ourselves in front and went on to get three cracking goals at home, which has been coming.

“They were two brilliant finishes from Ash Chambers and I thought Danny Kearns did excellently again for us, especially for Blairy’s goal. I’m disappointed to concede two but we won’t play too many sides like that week in, week out.”

Mills also explained a recall for Dan Parslow at right-back in place of Jon Challinor was influenced by the opposition’s style of football, saying: “They get the ball forward early and don’t even look where they’re putting it sometimes so I thought we needed people who can head the ball and decided to bring Pars in.”