MANAGER Steve Watson believes York City have found the playing system they are most comfortable with ahead of tomorrow's visit of Telford United.

The Minstermen have deployed a 3-5-2 formation from the first whistle for all but two National League North games this season.

Both times ended in wins over the division's bottom side Bradford Park Avenue - 2-0 in West Yorkshire on Boxing Day and 2-1 at Bootham Crescent on New Year's Day - as the absence of centre-back Steve McNulty encouraged York into a 4-3-3 shape.

Last time out, on Saturday at Southport, City welcomed McNulty back from absence into the defensive line, allowing York to return to a more familiar look.

And boss Watson was pleased with what he saw, in particular lauding the patience York played with in the 2-0 victory on Merseyside.

"We've found a system," he said. "We've tried 4-3-3 and got a couple of good results with it but I think we're more comfortable and we've worked hard all season on it.

"Going back to that on Saturday worked really well. I do think it's the system that suits us best.

"Other teams have gone about things differently. They've maybe been together longer than us.

"King's Lynn have great momentum from last season and teams like Brackley and Spenny are just chipping away, not changing wholly, but we've had a complete change of system, we've had players come in and players go out and I think the way we've gone about things suits us best - though that's to be proven at the end of the season."

Telford are currently 14th in National League North and come into the game with two wins and five goals scored from their last six outings.

As a number of teams will be at the halfway stage of the season, they will be planning for another campaign in the sixth tier - a possibly liberating thought.

Watson, though, is not unduly concerned by the prospect of teams coming to Bootham Crescent and feeling able to express themselves.

"The teams that should have had a go at us at home, we've dealt with really well," he said.

"King's Lynn are a forward-thinking team, as are Stockport and Brackley, and we've responded well.

"We know the way Telford play - whether they come and play differently we don't know.

"They're similar to Southport, they play a 4-1-4-1."

For the most part, particularly in the second half, Southport were well contained at Haig Avenue as York exhibited the attacking prowess that had made them such an exciting team to watch towards the start of the campaign.

A first-half header - which appears to come off a Port player from Kallum Griffiths' perfect corner-kick delivery to the near post - and a neat Jordan Burrow finish shortly after the restart sent York home with the three points, but they threatened to do their goal difference some good too. Alex Kempster and substitute Macaulay Langstaff both had chances saved.

"I was pleased with the way we managed the whole game," Watson said.

"We defended their dangers really well and defended the box manfully. We got blocks in, heads on the ball and defended the second ball much better.

"The two Guiseley goals were both second balls. We try and learn our lessons.

"On the ball, I thought we were very expressive and patient.

"We're allowed to be a little bit more (patient) because if we've got a spell where if do make three or four passes to buy time to get to the other side, and it was easier to do that Saturday.

"Hopefully people realise that's how you have to play sometimes.

"You watch some of the best teams in the world and in our league and they make a lot of passes in their own half to get out.

"But we've also got players to exploit quickly with Kempster and Jordan running the channels.

"I thought we mixed it up really well on Saturday and I'm looking for more of the same this Saturday."