YORK City defender David Ferguson believes Sam Collins has made a “cracking and phenomenal” start to his caretaker manager role.

The Minstermen have taken four points from a possible six during Collins’ temporary tenure, with Monday’s 2-0 home win against Blyth Spartans following a 0-0 draw at last term’s National League North play-off finalists Brackley 48 hours earlier.

Ferguson has completed the full 90 minutes in both matches, having not started any of the first five games of the season under former boss Martin Gray and the ex-England C international reckons Collins is galvanising the Bootham Crescent faithful too.

“I think he’s been phenomenal for us,” Ferguson enthused. “He’s been brilliant for me personally as well.

“He’s put all his trust in me and I’m trying to pay all that back for him. Whatever happens, you have to take it as players but, at the moment, I think he’s doing a cracking job, as is (caretaker assistant-manager) Stuart Parnaby.

“Our confidence is high and Sam is giving us a bit of encouragement. In the dressing room, he’s just telling us to play and, if anybody makes a mistake, so what?

“The fans were also clapping us off at half-time and full-time against Blyth and it’s great when the place is bouncing.”

Ferguson has been restored to his favoured left-back position by Collins after Gray suggested that his best chance of selection this season might be as a winger, with Sean Newton and Tom Allan both being preferred to him in the former role.

“There’s a free licence to attack with Sam, because he wants us on the front foot all the time, taking the game to the opposition,” Ferguson explained. “Defensively, I’ve obviously got a job to do as well, but he’s all about the full-backs bombing on, which suits me down to a tee.

“I’m more comfortable at left back. I played left wing when I came on as a sub against Alfreton, but I feel I’ve been a different player during the last two games.

“I’ve shown what I can do and there’s more to come. Different managers want different things.

“Maybe, the manager before wanted more height at the back, but I offer something different and Sam wants me to play as an attacking full-back. I’m not saying the other two (Newton and Allan) can’t play like that, but he must have seen something in me.”

Ferguson was Gray’s first signing in charge of the Minstermen, as he followed his former manager to North Yorkshire from Darlington last October.

On his old boss’ departure, Ferguson added: “It’s not nice for anybody to lose their job, but these things happen in football. New faces come in and different players play.”

Ferguson went on to suggest that the win over Blyth built on the promise shown at Brackley, as the players become more accustomed to Collins’ methods and expectations.

“It was a great result to get a 2-0 win and a clean sheet (on Monday) and I thought the performance was outstanding,” he declared. “We had lots of chances in the first half and it could have been 2-0 by the break, but their keeper pulled off a few good saves.

“It backed up our display at Brackley, but we finished this game off properly and we’re putting teams under pressure now with lots of pressing and energy.”

Former Blackpool full-back Ferguson, meanwhile, was involved in two crucial moments of the bank-holiday victory, being hacked down as he raided down the flank by Kieran Green, leading to the away midfielder’s first-half sending off and, then, delivering the left-wing cross that was handled by Connor Oliver before Jon Parkin converted the resulting penalty to open the scoring on 80 minutes.

On both incidents, Ferguson said: “I asked everybody about the red card and people told me that, if my leg had been planted, I would have been badly injured. He hit me just below the knee and everyone said it was a red card.

“For the penalty, I know Connor. The ball hit his hands and, whilst his arm wasn’t fully out, it was there, and it stopped the ball going past him.

“Jon was just behind him and I was just thankful we got the penalty.”