AKIL WRIGHT has insisted York City will need to match Whitby Town's enthusiasm when the lower-league visitors arrive for the FA Cup third round qualifying.

National League North side York and Northern Premier League premier division outfit Whitby Town are vying for a spot in the final round of the Cup before League sides enter.

Just as in the second round qualifying against Hebburn Town, York are going into Saturday's meeting at the LNER Community Stadium (3pm) as favourites - meaning another potential banana skin to navigate.

“In the FA Cup, it’s always going to be a difficult game because they’re always going to be up for it, especially when they’re from a lower league," Wright said.

“They’re coming to a big stadium and a big team like York.

“They’re going to be up for it and we’ve got to match that. Make sure we do a job."

The two sides are coming into this fixture in similar form.

Whitby were on a four-match winning run in their Step 3 league competition before losing 1-0 at home on Tuesday night - a fate that befell Step 2 side York, who had won three on the spin before a disappointing loss to basement side Hereford in midweek.

The difference between the sides' respective league positions - Whitby third and York 12th - can be attributed to the contrasting way they both started the season. Where Whitby picked up 10 points from their opening four games, it took York until their fourth game to record a win.

A good portion of the Minstermen's difficulties this season can be put down to bad luck with injuries and the concomitant shuffling of players to plug gaps.

Usually an imperious defensive midfielder, Wright was called on to play in central defence for the 4-0 defeat at Gloucester City.

Asked how these injuries have hit the mood of the squad, Wright said: “We’re always confident. But I think from the first game, it did (affect the mood) losing that, then going into the Gloucester game.

“But as a side, we go in thinking we can win each game.

“And it’s not straightforward for a lot of teams so it’s not really an excuse for anyone.

“We’ve got to keep going and believe in ourselves and I’m sure we’ll be find.

“Every loss is tough to take but that was very tough," Wright added of the Hereford game.

“We had chances - I had a chance myself - but it just wasn’t to be and all we can do is be better next game.

“It’s football, isn’t it? It happens and all we can is make sure we’re ready for the next game.

“The game, a win is needed. It’s the FA Cup but we need to win regardless.

“It’s not been a good start to the season anyway. We lost the first three as a team that should be up there.

“But it’s a long season and I’m sure things will turn around."

The furthest Wright has gone in the FA Cup is the third round proper, where he was a second-half substitute in National League side Barrow's 2-0 home defeat to League One Rochdale.

“To be honest, that was probably a bad draw," he reflected. "We wanted to get a big team away."

And to go on a run with York would "one hundred per cent mean a lot," he added. "It can be done - the likes of Chorley have shown that last season.

“I’ll be hoping for that, to get a big away draw in the later stages of the FA Cup."