COMBATIVE midfielder Andy Ferrell has been told to change nothing in his game despite being only one booking away from suspension a month into York City’s season.

Ferrell was shown his fourth yellow card during Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Kettering and later substituted by Martin Foyle with the City boss wary of a second caution.

The 25-year-old has been penalised repeatedly for crunching tackles this term but Foyle is reluctant to put the shackles on him and has almost resigned himself to losing Ferrell for one game between now and the February threshold for suspensions.

He said: “His enthusiasm rubs off on players. The yellow cards are the only part of his game that concern you but I don’t want to take that competitive streak out of his game.

“If he misses one game then, it happens, but he can come back in for the next one.”

Former Kidderminster enforcer Ferrell has picked up a one-match ban in each of the past two seasons for reaching five bookings before the end of February.

He has not been sent off since January 2007, however, during previous club Hereford’s 3-0 defeat at Macclesfield and has only seen red twice in his five-year professional career.

Foyle, meanwhile, has indicated that centre-back David McGurk, who has been unable to fight his way back into the starting line-up after recovering from a hamstring injury due to the form of Djoumin Sangare and Daniel Parslow, could fill another role as he bides his time for a recall.

The ex-Darlington defender was brought on as a midfield anchor man in the closing stages against Kettering as Foyle looked to protect his team’s two-goal lead.

The City boss added: “It’s something he did for me briefly last season and it’s useful because of his height as well. Teams like Kettering can launch the ball at you if they are chasing games so it’s good to get another big body on the pitch.”

• City winger Simon Russell has agreed to join Blue Square Premier rivals Tamworth on an emergency loan subject to the Lambs receiving permission from Conference chiefs.