YORK City manager Steve Watson is pleased with another win following his side's 4-1 victory at Spennymoor Town - though not necessarily with the entire performance.

Goals from Sean Newton, an own goal off a Joe Tait effort and Kallum Griffiths had City sitting pretty at 3-0 with the first half almost over.

But Ben McKenna pulled one back for the hosts almost immediately - and precipitated a pendulum swing that saw York under the cosh for a good portion of the second.

Aided by a couple of missed chances, York rode the storm before Adriano Moke slotted an outstanding strike into the top corner with just over 10 minutes remaining to settle City nerves.

The opening 45 was another brilliant attacking display from City but, on the strength of the second half, this was not as comfortable a win for York as others have been this season.

Yet it is also their highest scoring affair of the fledgling campaign - and the irony is not lost on a content Watson.

"Funnily enough," he said. "We have played better than that and won by less this season.

"But there are lots of ways to win a game.

"It's obviously pleasing against one of the toughest teams to win against, and it's another win under our belts.

"They've strengthened this year and they'll be up around it.

"It was good to come here and make another mark.

"I've rarely been disappointed with our defending this season but their goal was not a great example of it."

Picking a goal of the match is a tricky task - Newton's 25-yard free kick was a peach, left-footed from the left side, around the wall and into the top-left corner. Griffiths' was a neat finish, again from range, having drifted in from the right and curling inside keeper Matt Gould's left-hand upright. Not to be outdone, Moke's was another exquisite strike, this time into Gould's top left.

Asked if he had a favourite finish, Watson smiled and said: "I think the last one just because that goal was always going to be important.

"We were a little bit backs to the wall and that goal allowed me, for the first time in the second half, to relax for the first time.

"It was a great left foot," he added.

"The more he plays, the more he believes in himself.

"He's added that to his game. He's done it before and you can't say it's a fluke.

"He's got different assets to his game and that shows."

Despite York facing the prospect of a second game in three days - against Gateshead on Monday - Watson chose not to use all three substitutes, replacing Alex Kempster and Kieran Green with Macaulay Langstaff and Nathan Dyer.

"I'm not a fan of making substitutions when I don't have to," he explained.

"There are lads carrying knocks, but I wanted those three points out of the way and we'll go from there.

"Something must be going right if I'm naming the same starting 11 and substitutes every week."

Watson also said Dan Maguire's knee injury has turned out to be more serious than first thought and he will be out for a couple more games yet.