Pic: Gordon Clayton
SEAN NEWTON says there’s no doom and gloom inside the York City dressing room – and that he can help the Minstermen beat the drop.
The former England C defender smashed in a stoppage-time winner against Barrow last weekend to keep Gary Mills‘ bottom-placed side in touch with relegation rivals Guiseley and North Ferriby.
Boss Mills returned in October to the club he took into the Football League five years ago after he was axed by Wrexham.
Since then he’s overhauled the squad and Newton, who followed Mills from north Wales, says there is an air of confidence among the squad.
“It’s been a long time coming,” Newton told The NLP. “I know it’s easy to say, but since I’ve been here it’s only been the Bromley, North Ferriby and Lincoln games where we’ve been terrible and not deserved anything. In the other games we’ve been unlucky.
“If it was the players we have now from the start of the season, I’d fancy us to do well. Obviously us only getting together now, it’s tough. You’ve got to get used to each other.
“But we’ve got enough experience now to get us out of the situation we’re in. There’s a mini league at the bottom where anyone could go down probably from 16th and below.
“It’s a totally different squad from when I first walked through the door. The majority of the new signings have done well and hopefully that can continue.
“When you’re down there, you normally feel like you’re down there. Since I’ve come in and the players are all new, it sounds silly, the dressing room is buzzing. We’re playing well.
“The lads are confident. That comes with playing well, which we’ve been doing, and hopefully we can carry that on.”
Newton was also pleased to open his own goal account as York made it back-to-back wins. The ex-Telford, Stockport County and Lincoln City man thinks the manner it came can also be a catalyst for the rest of the season – and he did it after taking a blow in the game that broke his nose.
“Last-minute goals can be better sometimes than winning 2-1 in the 70th minute,” Newton said. “I don’t know what it is, but it seems to give you that something extra.
“The feelings wouldn’t have been the same and it can really act as a big boost. And I’ve got an excuse for a big nose now. I can say that it broke and didn’t used to be this big!”
