"IF we match their efforts, then we are expected to win."

So believes interim manager John Askey as York City head to lower-league Matlock Town in the FA Trophy third round tomorrow.

Hosts Matlock are challenging at the top of the Northern Premier League but nevertheless sit a tier below National League North outfit York.

The Gladiators will be the fourth side City have faced from the NPL premier division this season, following on from Morpeth Town, Whitby Town and table-toppers Buxton.

City saw off both Morpeth and Whitby in the FA Cup before coming unstuck against a classy Buxton.

And Askey has warned against complacency on Saturday (3pm) while calling for the same kind of determined mindset that earned 10-man City a point against Chorley last Saturday.

“Whoever you’re playing, you’ve got to match their effort," Askey said. "If we do that, we should win the game if luck’s on our side - but you make your own luck.

“With the ability we’ve got, if we match their efforts, then we’re expected to win. Problems come when you don’t do that. That’s what we’ve got to be wary of.

"We’ve got to put as much into it as we did on Saturday and we’ll be fine.

“They’re well-organised," he said of Matlock. "They’ve got one or two players who could probably play higher.

“But as we saw with Buxton in the FA Cup, if you take it lightly, it can bite you.

“You’ve got to make sure you prove that you’re better, otherwise you shouldn’t be here. That’s what the players will be trying to do.

“We’ve got to go into it positively, not think about the negative things, and go and put on a good performance."

That may well be aided by the Chorley draw, which proved a valuable morale-boost.

“The feeling around the club is that it was a much-improved performance," he said. "You could see every player had a real go.

“They’ve taken that into training and have shown a bit more togetherness.

Midfielder Paddy McLaughlin is likely to miss the tie with a hamstring injury, but could return for Boxing Day.