Sam Collins given green light to improve York City squad

The Minstermen dropped to 15th in the National League North table following a 4-1 home defeat to Bradford Park Avenue and now lie a point closer to the relegation zone than the play-off places.

Skipper Joe Tait was sent off against second-placed Park Avenue following an off-the-ball incident that saw Jake Beesley open the scoring from the penalty spot on 27 minutes.

Beesley and Jamie Spencer went on to add further goals within six minutes of the start of the second period and Ben McKenna wrapped up victory after Sean Newton’s free kick had reduced the deficit just past the hour mark.

Manager Collins and his assistant Stuart Parnaby subsequently met with chairman Jason McGill and his board after the match and received their full backing to improve certain departments of the team with reinforcements.

Yesterday morning, on-loan Hartlepool midfielder Lewis Hawkins became Collins’ second signing since taking over as manager from Martin Gray in mid-August, following on from Alex Harris’ arrival from Falkirk.

But more new faces are now expected through the door at Bootham Crescent in coming weeks and, commenting on last night’s post-mortem following a third defeat in eight days, Collins told The Press: “The chairman and directors have backed myself and Stuart to do what is needed to make this club successful by bringing in the right players.

“We’re all in agreement that needs to happen, because our current position in the table is not acceptable. We’ve got a big squad of players and, in certain areas of the pitch, I think we’re quite strong, but we have to be better in others.

“The chairman and directors have backed us to do what we think is right, which is outstanding of them and everybody is working together because they want to make things right at this football club. I know what a great club this is from playing for other teams here in the past and I know I’m working for a great set of people, so I intend to do everything I can to put things right because I cannot stand to let people down.

“The players here get paid good money and enjoy training-ground facilities that are Championship standard and we need more who will scrap and fight for every penny. The majority of players have had a chance to show me what they can do now and, with the chairman’s blessing, we need to make the changes we feel are needed to put things right.”

Collins appears to have earmarked City’s defence as his first priority for strengthening, with the team having now failed to keep a clean sheet in eight league games and shipped nine goals in their last three matches.

Hamza Bencherif came off the bench to partner Tom Allan in the centre of defence following Tait’s dismissal, but Collins suggested at the final whistle that club stalwart Dan Parslow, who has not started a game all season, is now a shoo-in for next weekend’s FA Cup first-round trip to Swindon.

Addressing his team’s deficiencies against Bradford, Collins said: “The three midfield players were excellent with their work-rate. Adriano Moke was outstanding and Kallum Griffiths, who was playing in there instead of Russ Penn, gave us energy and a desire to put his foot in, before he felt his groin a bit and had to come off.

“Lewis Hawkins also gave us what I knew he would on his debut, but he was probably looking over his shoulder looking for more help. You can’t fault Jordan Burrow’s attitude either or Sean Newton bombing up and down the wing and scoring an outstanding free kick which he’s more than capable of but, until we stop giving away stupid goals, we’ve got a problem.

“Their third goal was a great strike that you have to hold your hands up for, but the second one came straight through the middle of the pitch, as did the last one, and that’s really poor. Some of the situations we didn’t deal with through the middle of the pitch were what you were taught as 12-year-olds and these players are professional footballers, who you need to do the jobs they are paid for.

“If they can’t, I’m in the fortunate position as football manager of this club at this moment in time where I can go and get others to do that. I’m sure their centre-halves knew they had been in a game against Jordan Burrow, but I’m not sure their centre forward will have felt the same at the other end of the pitch.

“Dan Parslow has knocked on my door a couple of times and I’ve told him he just has to be patient but, if he knocks on my door again, I’ll tell him to get ready for next Saturday. You need the right levels of commitment across the pitch but, whilst I felt we had that in eight or nine positions, we weren’t solid enough in the other two or three and a part of the pitch where it really matters is letting us down.”

Collins went on to declare that he would punish Tait as severely as permitted for his dismissal after catching Beesley with a flailing arm.

The misdemeanour is expected to lead to a three-game ban and Collins added: “I am very angry because we had started well and were right in the game but, then, the captain doing what he did was just stupid and put us up against it.

“It was a sending off and it killed us and there was no need to do it. I wanted us to concentrate on being hard to beat but, when an individual does that, it makes that difficult.

“He is the captain and should be setting an example and he’ll get the maximum fine possible, because he’s let the team down.”

Collins was more complimentary about midfielder Hawkins, who was thrown straight into the starting XI following his loan move from Hartlepool.

The Middlesbrough-born 25-year-old has played 117 games and scored two goals during seven years at Hartlepool and has also been loaned out to Whitby and Spennymoor in the past with Collins enthusing: “The way he played against Bradford is his game.

“He’s full of energy and puts his foot on the ball. I’ve known him since he was 16 or younger and I know what he can do.

“He’s good technically, but he’ll also fight and scrap. Hartlepool have been really helpful and he’s on loan with us until January and can play in the FA Cup.”

The Press’ October Player of the Month Russ Penn, meanwhile, was rested from the first XI with Collins explaining: “Russ has had three starts on the trot, which can be a bit difficult, so we tried to freshen it up and he understood.”

Teenage winger Fergus McAughtrie has also been released by the club after making two first-team appearances this season with Collins pointing out: “Fergus did really well on his debut at Brackley and I’d like to be patient with him whilst he tries to find his feet but, in all honesty, we’ve got 25 or 26 players and I’d rather have 18.

“I want to develop players, but my job now is to win games. I’ve told him, though, that I’ll help get him get fixed up somewhere else in whatever way I can, because I like him and he has talent and ability.”