Former York City striker Chris Jones salutes current rearguard operators

Jones was a member of the 1973/4 side that enjoyed seven consecutive clean sheets on the way to clinching promotion to the second tier of the English game for the only time in the club’s history.

That run represented the first occasion any City side had kept so many successive shut-outs in a single campaign, although it was achieved during a seven-game spell overlapping the 1957/8 season and 1958/9 seasons as Sam Bartram built a team capable of going up from the old Fourth Division.

The side Jones played in also equalled a Football League record of 11 matches without conceding, excluding cup games, but the 65-year-old Radio York summariser believes Mills’ men, who have kept out the opposition during their last five games, can claim a place in the history books by preventing Boston United today and Luton Town next weekend from finding the net in their next two scheduled fixtures.

He said: “Boston are from the division below and it won’t be an easy game. They get a few goals but I would expect York City, with their new-found confidence, to win.

“Luton has obviously been a good ground for the club, having won the play-off semi-final there last season. I am sure they will have a plan of how to play against York but Gary Mills won’t change his style of play for anybody, so there is a decent chance the team can carry on their run and keep clean sheets in both matches.”

Having played in one team and been a regular observer of the other, few people are more qualified than Jones when discussing similarities between the respective defences and the one-time Manchester City and Swindon forward believes there are parallels to be drawn, namely meticulous organisation and the presence of a midfield anchorman sitting in front of the back four.

He added: “At the moment, York have Djoumin Sangare in that position and we had John Woodward, who did nothing but win the ball, pass it and mark the penalty spot at set-pieces. Colin Meldrum, our coach at the time, was very strong on organisation.

“Everybody knew their job and it was very methodical to avoid any confusion. It was a bit similar to what Gary Mills has instilled since coming to the club in that respect.”

During the 70s’ sequence of results, City’s back four and goalkeeper played all seven matches with John Stone, Barry Swallow, Chris Topping and Phil Burrows ever-presents in front of Graeme Crawford.

Mills has also settled on his favoured defensive line-up with Michael Ingham playing behind Daniel Parslow, David McGurk, Chris Smith and James Meredith during the last five fixtures, aside from Robbie Weir and Greg Young filling in for a game apiece. Commenting on the individuals’ respective qualities in both teams, Jones said: “In the 70s, we played a zonal defence at set-pieces long before it was fashionable. The back four were very solid and very well-organised and the reason why York City did not get relegated the season before I came to the club.

“Swallow was a good organiser and Chris Topping a tremendous tackler. They had a good understanding, similar to the partnership David McGurk and Chris Smith are forging.

“There are many similarities, although probably the main difference was that Swallow and Topping caused more problems in the opposition’s box.

“Phil Burrows and John Stone were superb full-backs. John was very strong and a good distributor of the ball while Phil, who played with me for Manchester City’s youth team, had a great left foot and worked tirelessly down the flank, offering great support for Ian Butler.

“In the current team, I did not rate Daniel Parslow as a right-back initially but he’s grown in confidence there and I put that down to the manager giving him belief that he can play in that position. With James Meredith, I also looked at him at first and wondered whether he had got the defensive skills but he has improved so much since signing for the club.

“At one stage, I thought the full- backs might be one of the team’s weaknesses but they are proving one of its strengths now.

“In goal, Graeme Crawford did not command his area – Michael Ingham does that more – but he was a terrific line ’keeper. I often talk about Michael’s concentration levels when the ball is at the other end of the field during my radio commentary.

“I sometimes think he switches off but he is having a very good season after a couple of mistakes early on. He makes some great saves, like Graeme used to do, and looks very confident when he catches the ball instead of punching.” While willing the Minstermen on to equal the club record, Jones also advised the team not to become sidetracked by it at the expense of their commitment to playing attractive, attacking football.

The 73/74 side’s seven clean sheets included four 0-0 draws and saw the opposition’s net ripple just four times at the other end.

Jones warned: “We defended from the front as a team but we started putting 11 men behind the ball too often. We knew about the record and were looking after it too much.

“Jimmy Seal and myself were quite relieved when Aldershot scored to end the run because we knew things could return to normal and, playing in that team as forwards, we knew we could trust the back four to keep a clean sheet while always back ourselves to get a goal.

“It was a great feeling sitting in the dressing room, looking at your back four and goalkeeper and thinking this side will struggle to score against them, even when we went on to play the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal. That is a mentality York will be able to take to Bolton in the FA Cup if they carry on in the current vein.”

Should they keep Boston off the scoresheet this afternoon, Mills’ team will already become the first City side to rack up six successive shut-outs since a sequence 26 years ago which included the famous 1984/5 1-0 FA Cup victory over Arsenal.