TEENAGE right-back Nathan Dyer is edging close to a sustained run of games for York City.

The Malton-born defender, who turns 18 on Sunday, has not started back-to-back matches since he was given his first senior chances during October victories against St Ives Town in the FA Cup and Southport in National League North.

But his outing at the weekend during Saturday’s 3-1 FA Trophy triumph at Kidderminster Harriers represented the fifth time he had made a City first XI and he has helped the team to win three of those contests.

His only defeats in a City shirt have come during 2-1 losses at League Two Swindon in the FA Cup and Telford in the league, whilst he was left on the bench for the heavy reverses against Spennymoor (0-3), Bradford Park Avenue (1-4) and Altrincham (0-3).

Dyer was preferred to seasoned professional Josh Law at Kidderminster and, with Kallum Griffiths having been shifted from right back to an anchoring midfield role during the last five games, there seems a chance for the former Leeds United academy hopeful to stake a claim for regular selection, as City chief Sam Collins confessed ahead of Saturday's home game with FC United of Manchester: “At some stage, we will get to that point because, every time he has played, it has been very hard to be overly critical and he’s done really well in all the games really.

“He probably had a little spell in the second half at Kidderminster when he could have dictated the situation better because their left back was getting forward and cutting inside on his right foot but, overall, for a 17-year-old boy, he has been great and has got a real chance of making a career for himself.”

Dyer’s former under-19 team-mates, meanwhile, lost their top-of-the-table National League Alliance fixture to Guiseley 2-0 this week.

The Leeds team have now opened up a five-point gap over the third-placed Minstermen, with Collins adding: “There wasn’t a lot in the game, but our lads missed a lot of chances.

“Along with the likes of Reiss Harrison and Archie Whitfield, Jake Watson is also doing well at the moment.”