York City manager Gary Mills has challenged his players to maintain the form they recaptured in Saturday’s 3-0 victory at top-of-the-table Wrexham.

First-half goals from Paddy McLaughlin, Ashley Chambers and Jamie Reed secured an impressive victory for the Minstermen in Wales and ended an uncertain period of games.

An unconvincing 1-0 home win over Bath had followed back-to-back defeats against part-time pair Alfreton and Tamworth but City were back to their best at the Racecourse Ground – emulating their displays during the impressive August triumphs over Kettering (5-1) and Barrow (3-1).

A delighted Mills said: “We’ve had a few displays where we’ve not performed like that but that’s what we are capable of. We’ve performed like that in a couple of games and we got back to it, which we needed to do.

“I wanted to see that again and I want to see it every game. Sometimes, that’s not possible but you’ve got to have the belief, desire and hunger that you can do it every game if you’re going to succeed.

“We’ve not been good enough at our jobs over the last two or three games and that’s cost us points but everybody did their jobs superbly again and we took what we work on week in, week out on the training ground on to the pitch. They’ve proven they’re good players but you can’t take your foot off the pedal.

“The players have had criticism and you have to be man enough to bounce back from that. We had men out there (at Wrexham) not boys and I’m delighted to get three points, three goals and a clean sheet.”

Mills made two changes to the side that started the midweek match at Bath with Daniel Parslow and Danny Pilkington replaced by McLaughlin and Reed.

Both responded by getting on the scoresheet with Mills adding: “You have to make decisions and hope they are the right ones.

“I was delighted for Paddy and Reedy, especially with him coming back to his old club. If I feel it’s right, I will make changes and I thought it was right for a number of reasons to play Reedy.

“Paddy’s been a bit unlucky not to play the last couple of games but sometimes you have to sit back and realise what it takes to stay in the side.

“I thought he read the game well and, whereas he wanted to pick the ball up deeper in some of our earlier games, he pressed the play more.

“It was a fantastic free-kick for his goal and it’s great to see something you’ve worked on come off.”

The City boss garnered most pleasure, however, from Chambers’ appearance on the scoresheet for the first time this season, ending his 24-match wait for a goal.

Mills said: “I was delighted for Ash Chambers because I think he’s been excellent this season and nobody deserved a goal more than him.”

Reed was substituted with a calf problem midway through the second half but should be fit to face Darlington at home tomorrow night.

Former Kettering utility man Jon Challinor is likely to continue at right-back for that game after impressing in the role at Wrexham, where he was preferred to Parslow in the absence of injured first-choice Lanre Oyebanjo.

About the performance of Challinor, who is under contract with City until the end of December, Mills said: “I thought he was fantastic. He was strong and, even on the occasions players got past him, he worked hard to get the ball back. He made some good challenges and passed the ball well.

“I nearly played him there against Bath and he’s a good professional and a good footballer, who’s still hungry to do well. The door’s open for him at York City and he’s telling me he wants to take that opportunity.

“If he performs like that, I won’t have to search for another full-back. In fact, I was pleased with both full-backs because James Meredith had his best game of the season and they have important roles in the system we want to play.”