CARETAKER manager Sam Collins believes York City boast the strongest bench in National League North after substitutes Jake Wright and Jon Parkin both grabbed equalisers in a 2-2 draw at Nuneaton Borough.

Wright ended a ten-game wait for a first goal during his second spell as a Minstermen player with a powerful header, while Parkin stabbed in his third of a campaign in which he has only started three matches.

The pair cancelled out two strikes by impressive home forward Dior Angus, with Collins believing Wright can be a force in the air and also stressing that 36-year-old veteran Parkin remains a “brilliant option” for the ninth-placed club.

With Wes York also a second-half replacement in Warwickshire, where Russell Penn and Hamza Bencherif were left in the dugout, the temporary boss extolled the quality of his inherited squad and, on the impact of his substitutes, Collins said: “Jake Wright got a great header at a really important time for us and I’ve told him, if we can get out of him in games what he shows in training, then we’ve got a player on our hands, because the goal he scored is him down to a tee.

“I saw him play for Sheffield United (under-23s) and I know Mick Wadsworth on their staff, who speaks very highly of him and has told me he’s so good in the air. We all know what Jon can do as well, because he’s scored goals right through his career and, if you want the ball to fall to anybody in the box from within the group, then you’d like it to be him.

“He’s a brilliant option for us, whether he starts games or comes on and we’re fortunate to have lots if options. I don’t think there will be a stronger bench in this league, with the likes of Dan Parslow, Tom Allan and Fergus McAughtrie not even in the squad at the moment either.”

Collins conceded, meanwhile, that his team were not at the best against Nuneaton, but he was “delighted” with the determination they demonstrated not to be beaten by their improving third-bottom hosts.

“We weren’t as good as I think we have been,” the ex-Hartlepool and Port Vale defender admitted. “We had lots of possession in the first half but never looked like we were going to break them down, so we changed and adapted our style a bit in the second half and the two lads came on and scored two really, good goals.

“But they had a few chances too and I’m delighted to come away with a point having not played so well, because the players kept going and the first thing they said afterwards is that they would have lost that game last season. They didn’t because they hung in there and showed a determination to get something out of it and little things like that are really important.”

City officials are now expected to speak to potential candidates for the managerial vacancy at Bootham Crescent during coming days, including Collins, who remains eager to be given the chance to prove himself on a permanent basis.

“I don’t know if I’ll get a phone call, but everybody at the club has been so helpful to me and I’d love to have a crack at it with these lads,” he added.