MANAGER Steve Watson has said he wants York City to finish pre-season without any more losses - a run starting tomorrow night at South Shields.

Four games into the build-up to the 2019/20 National League North season, only Leeds United have bested the Minstermen so far.

The most recent in the run of victories was Saturday's 2-1 defeat of North Yorkshire rivals Scarborough Athletic, following triumphs over Bolton Wanderers and Hartlepool United.

After Tuesday's trip to Mariners Park (7.30pm) - York's first away game of pre-season - City have only Notts County to face on Saturday and Pickering Town on Tuesday.

Watson said: "We've won three games in a row now, which is important.

"It was a tough test against Leeds - we didn't write the game off but we knew it was going to be more of a fitness exercise.

"We want to go the rest of pre-season unbeaten.

"It's a tough game against Notts County and that should be a lot closer to the team I want to play at the start of the season.

"The two disappointing things are that we haven't been clinical enough and have more injuries than any manager would have liked.

"Apart from that, it's all gone well."

South Shields are set to ply their trade in the same tier as Scarborough - the Northern Premier League premier division - for 2019/20, though they were just 90 minutes away from National League North.

League title contenders throughout the season, the Mariners finished last term second, and 2-1 defeat to Warrington Town in the play-off final denied Lee Picton's men a fourth consecutive promotion.

"They'll be a good test, as good, if not more so than Scarborough," Watson said.

"It's at their place as well, our first away game of the season.

"I've seen them two or three times, they were unlucky not to get promoted and they'll want to go one step better this season.

"There will be a decent crowd - it's another northern-based club - and I'm hoping we'll bring a few.

"We've got a lot of lads from up there and they'll have friends and family there.

"I'm sure it will be a good occasion for everybody."

York did not fare so well on their last trip to South Shields, losing the FA Cup third qualifying round match-up 3-2. Under Gary Mills, City fought back from two goals down, only to fall to a late Gavin Cogdon strike.

Goalscorer Sean Newton and Adriano Moke are the only two players from that day who have featured for City this pre-season, with everyone else but Simon Heslop now departed from the club.

Meanwhile, still at Shields nearly two years on are Jon Shaw, Dillon Morse, Robert Briggs and Craig Baxter.

Manager Picton has brought in four new faces so far for this season, alongside academy graduates Arron Thompson and Callum Guy, who have both signed first-team contracts.

Manchester United Academy midfielder Adam Thurston - who most recently played in New Zealand with Canterbury United - was the first new arrival, followed by forward Millenic Alli, defender Robinson Wokoma and former Southport striker Jason Gilchrist.