JOHN ASKEY has doubled down on the importance of retaining possession and working the ball in the wake of York City's narrow FA Trophy victory on Saturday.

On-loan striker Mark Beck headed in the only goal of the game in injury time to see off lower-league hosts Matlock Town 1-0 in the third round of the competition.

The win was vital, of course, for both progression in the Trophy and to keep the Minstermen's confidence rolling on from a hard-working display in National League North against Chorley the previous weekend.

But it was an arduous affair against Matlock. City disappointed in possession, giving the ball away when unchallenged all too often, and scarcely tested the Gladiators' novice keeper Sam Ogden.

Something which let York down were too many long balls from the back to target man Beck, Askey believes, and told his side as such at the break. City did look more in control after half-time.

Early in his tenure, the interim boss spoke about improving York's intensity, and showing better decision-making with the ball is one way in which Askey hopes to achieve this.

Askey said: "We spoke about it at half-time - when you play against teams like that, when you've only got one up front, you've got to play out from the back, and we didn't do that.

We started to lump it to Mark Beck.

"Once we started to play out from the back, we started to control, even though we weren't playing great football.

"We've got to work on working, when the full-backs are higher up the pitch, on keeping the ball better.

"We don't have sustained pressure, and we've got to make sure that we do.

"Sometimes we're having shots from 40 yards out when we've got to retain it and work the ball.

"When we do that, we get into decent positions."