1 Alex Harris has been a surprise success in the midfield engine room

Even at non-League level, the transition from the top divisions of the Scottish game to football south of the border is generally troublesome for many players given the difference in tempo. But former Hibernian and Queen of the South campaigner Harris should be congratulated for the ease with which he has adjusted to National League North action, especially having not kicked a single ball this term for previous club Falkirk.

Having admitted he is most comfortable out wide or in an attacking number-10 role, Harris’ performance as a central midfielder against Guiseley was also very encouraging. On his debut, against North West Counties League minnows Ashton Athletic in the FA Cup, the former Scotland under-19 international was given plenty of licence to bomb forward from the middle of the pitch in tandem with Adriano Moke.

But, against a Guiseley side who went into Saturday’s contest on the back of a nine-game unbeaten run, he demonstrated that he has the positional discipline to operate closer to anchorman Simon Heslop, allowing Moke to make the greater number of attacking surges. On the ball, meanwhile, the ex-Scottish Cup finalist showed the composure and confidence caretaker boss Sam Collins is asking for from his players and it is difficult to remember the Edinburgh-born, 24-year-old making many wrong calls in possession.

His set-piece deliveries – from a free kick and a corner – also led to City’s final two goals, both scored by Sean Newton, illustrating his threat in dead-ball situations too. In two outings, Harris already has one goal and two assists to his name and has rattled a post, while City’s midfield has evolved into a potentially more penetrative force than the Heslop-Josh Law-Russ Penn triumvirate that lined up in Collins’ first contest as caretaker manager.

York Press:

2 Jordan Burrow has shown real spirit to kickstart his York City career

No striker wants to start out at a new club without a goal in their first seven outings, especially when one of those blank-firing appearances includes a saved penalty. But, just as he did when he volunteered to take that spot kick against Curzon Ashton, Burrow has shown great character and fortitude to demonstrate that he can be successful in a City shirt during his last two outings.

Following his early struggles, the Minstermen faithful were understandably fearful that Burrow was set to join a long recent list of underwhelming forward recruits who have failed to deliver the goods – a concern that seemed all the more credible when Collins chose to leave him out of his squad completely for the trip to Hereford. But, after claiming his first goal for the club and a couple of assists during the previous weekend’s FA Cup triumph, Burrow made his presence felt again in the final third against Guiseley.

And, perhaps even more pleasing than his 37th-minute goal, was the role he played in Macaulay Langstaff’s earlier equaliser. For many strikers short on confidence, one-on-one opportunities can be their worst enemy rather than being regarded as a perfect chance to find the net, with some even devising methods of making such openings look less presentable.

But, despite Burrow’s struggles this term, there was not a moment of hesitation as he anticipated that a struggling Terry Kennedy had got himself in a position where he was not going to be able to deal with Adam Bartlett’s long punt forward. Gathering the ball, he charged straight for goal and, even though his shot was saved by away keeper Joe Green, it was firm, positive and carried sufficient power so that it could only be parried, allowing Langstaff to follow up and net. With two goals in two games and four created for team-mates – more than any other City player in 2018/19 – any weight on Burrow’s shoulders should now have lifted and he can, hopefully, concentrate on continuing to contribute in similar fashion for the rest of his Bootham Crescent career.

York Press:

3 City’s bench lacks nothing in terms of miles on the clock

Rarely can a dugout at sixth-tier level have boasted so much experience that that selected by Sam Collins on Saturday. In 36-year-old Jon Parkin and Russ Penn, aged 32, the Minstermen had two players who have both played more than 550 games at a higher level than they are currently plying their trade.

Fellow 30-something defender Hamza Bencherif has also racked up more than 250 outings at National League level or above, as has Wes York. Only 22-year-old Jake Wright could be described as a rookie, while Dan Parslow, who recently broke into the Minstermen’s top-ten all-times appearance list, was left out of another matchday squad.

Should Collins be given the manager’s job on a full-time basis, it will be interesting to witness his continued handling of such seasoned pros and whether any future recruitment follows a more youthful path.

York Press:

4 The team have never been as ruthless all season

Five goals might have been rattled in during the previous match against Ashton Athletic, but the team’s finishing in this contest was more emphatic. While Collins’ men had 25 chances in the one-sided FA Cup clash, the four goals put past Guiseley came from a total of 12 opportunities created.

That tally is just one more than the team mustered in Collins’ first game in charge – the 0-0 draw against Brackley. The one-in-three conversion rate, meanwhile, is comfortably City’s best ratio of the season with the one-in-five return against Ashton beating the previously most-clinical one-in-six strike-rates against Hereford and Ashton United.

Poor defending by Guiseley admittedly contributed to the Minstermen’s four-goal show, but clinically punishing any opposition mistakes is a good habit to get into.

York Press:

5 Wes York’s cameos are making him super-sub material

Few players pursue a reputation for being more dangerous when introduced into games, than they are starting matches, but second-half replacement Wes York’s ability to stretch tiring defences with his pace and direct running has proven a useful outlet down the middle of the pitch in each of the last two fixtures. York will need to look just as threatening when he is given his next start in a shirt to avoid being pigeon-holed as an impact player.