YORK City manager Nigel Worthington has challenged his players to take control of their own destiny after dropping into the League Two relegation zone.

The Minstermen now lie two points from safety following a 50-1 William Hill accumulator of unlikely results in midweek when four of the teams previously below the Bootham Crescent club in the standings each won their game in hand on Worthington’s side.

Three of those relegation rivals will now provide the opposition for City, however, during the next four matches, starting with tomorrow’s clash at Torquay.

Following a trip to Bristol Rovers, who have allayed all fears of the drop themselves, the Minstermen then face back-to-back home matches against Plymouth and Accrington that look set to define the team’s 2012/13 destiny.

“That’s a positive thing,” Worthington said of his side’s string of imminent six-pointer clashes. “We know the games we have got and the points we require.

“You can look at other teams’ run-ins and think this might happen but who would have predicted all four teams would have won on Tuesday night? Most people would have fancied Southend and Fleetwood to get results but they didn’t.

“You have to do the job yourself. You cannot rely on others.”

Worthington, pictured, added that the players must now prove they can fight their way to survival during the final seven games of the season following a run of 14 matches since their last victory.

“After Tuesday, the situation we are in is there for all to see,” he pointed out. “You now have to face that reality, embrace it, get the club out of the bottom two as soon as possible and then build on that.

“You have to meet the challenge head on because, if you don’t, it will slap you in the face. We have to get rid of this long run without a win because I think that would bring a little injection of confidence into the group.

“All the games are like boxing matches really. They are one versus one and you have to make sure you come out winning on points.”

David McGurk has made the trip to Torquay, but fellow centre-back Chris Doig is an absentee with ankle ligament problems.

Right-back Lanre Oyebanjo (calf) is also doubtful, but Worthington said: “I don’t think he will be quite ready, although we will be giving him every chance to prove he will be fit.”

Teenage midfielder Tom Platt, meanwhile, has made the journey to Devon following his recall from a successful free-scoring loan spell with Harrogate Town and could be a contender to make his City debut, possibly from the bench, with Worthington adding: “There’s a good chance he will be involved in the squad.

“He’s a big, strong lad and there are qualities there, so we just need to keep working with him to try to make him a better player. He has a good physique and the legs to get around the pitch.”

On-loan Sheffield United striker Richard Cresswell is also in line to make his second debut for the Minstermen with Worthington impressed by the fitness levels the 35-year-old former England Under-21 international has displayed in training this week.

“He’s been a regular member of the first-team group at Sheffield United so he’s up to speed,” the City chief said. “He looks after himself and is in good shape so that’s not an issue.”

Worthington has also not ruled out making further loan additions before the deadline, which is next Thursday, March 28, and not as previously reported.

On the challenge of Torquay, who ended an 11-game run without a win during Tuesday’s 2-1 home victory over Chesterfield, which was watched by City assistant-manager Fred Barber, Worthington added: “They work hard and the big lad up front (Rene Howe) is a handful. The on-loan Sheffield United lad Jordan Chappell wide on the left has pace and can be a threat.

“But if we do our jobs, there should not be any problems.

“The good thing is that Torquay won’t have learned anything about us from last Saturday’s performance (the disappointing 2-0 home defeat to Port Vale) so we are starting afresh and we’ve got to be ready to go and try to surprise them.”

Tomorrow’s other significant fixtures: Barnet v Cheltenham, Chesterfield v Plymouth, Gillingham v Accrington, Port Vale v Aldershot.