YORK City utility man Jon Challinor wants to extend his Bootham Crescent career beyond the turn of the year.

Challinor, 30, is under contract with the Minstermen until January but is hoping his recent performances at right-back are convincing manager Gary Mills that he is worth a longer-term deal.

The former Kettering and Cambridge midfielder has impressed Mills since replacing the injured Lanre Oyebanjo at full-back and has even retained his place in the starting XI despite the Republic of Ireland under-21 international’s return to fitness.

During Saturday’s 4-2 away victory against Hayes & Yeading United, Challinor also claimed his first goal for City and does not want to kick off 2012 anywhere else.

He said: “I’ve spoken to the gaffer and nothing’s changed. I just want to keep on playing as I am and, hopefully then, things will sort themselves out because I’m loving my time here and the one thing you want as a player is to be enjoying your football.”

Challinor is also relishing a role that he initially felt would only be his on a stand-in basis.

He added: “The gaffer asked me to do a job at right-back and, while I don’t like to big myself up, I hope I’m doing a good one. With the way we play, the full-backs are encouraged to go forward and I’m enjoying that because that’s what I like to do.

“When I first started playing there, I told Lanre I was keeping the position warm for him but I’m absolutely loving it now. If the gaffer decides to bring him back then that’s his decision and I will try to win a place back in midfield. Otherwise, I’ll just keep trying to do my job at full-back.

“I started off as a right-back in the youth team at Rushden but soon got pushed further forward so I don’t know what that says about my performances back then! I’ve also covered there for the odd suspension in previous seasons but, in truth, I’m just pleased to be enjoying my football again after a couple of up and down years.”

After opening his City account on Saturday, Challinor is not ruling out further goals having been a regular marksmen from midfield at previous clubs such as Aldershot and Exeter.

He said: “The most important thing against Hayes was getting three points, but I was delighted with my goal. There wasn’t too much on and, if I’m in and around the box, I will always try to get a shot away.”

Challinor is less pleased, however, to be part of a back four that has not kept a clean sheet in seven games and puts that flaw down to mental lapses.

“We need to buck our ideas up in terms of the goals we are conceding,” he admitted. “As a defender, you want to keep clean sheets, which we haven’t been doing for so many games.

“It’s something we have to work on and I think it’s down to concentration and doing our jobs professionally. The goals we conceded on Saturday were towards the end of both halves and, if we can stop them going in, we will definitely be up there at the end of the season because we know we will score wherever we go.”

Challinor is now looking forward to a double header against top-of-the-table Wrexham with this weekend’s FA Cup fourth qualifying round trip to North Wales followed by a huge league fixture at Bootham Crescent seven days later.

Having played his first game at right-back during last month’s 3-0 Blue Square Bet Premier triumph at Wrexham, Challinor is undaunted by the challenge.

He said: “The way we are playing, we should not fear any team. With our style of play, we don’t worry about other sides and know that, if we play how we can, we will be a force in this league and whatever competition we play in.

“They are still top of the table and will want to avenge that 3-0 defeat but, if we do what we can, there will be no problems.”

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Lincoln City, meanwhile, have announced David Holdsworth as their new boss.