JAMIE Reed has scored the first goal of many for York City according to manager Gary Mills.

The 23-year-old forward, who arrived at Bootham Crescent this month from Bangor City, opened his Minstermen account with the first goal in Saturday’s 2-1 home win over Forest Green Rovers.

Reed, making his fourth appearance for City and his second from the bench, scuffed home a 57th-minute close-range effort to claim his 18th goal of the season, having left Bangor as the Welsh Premier League’s top scorer.

City manager Mills said: “That goal sums up a goalscorer for me and that’s what he is.

“Whether he sticks one in from 20 yards or it comes off his backside it doesn’t matter and I’ve seen him score so many goals like that one.

“Jamie Reed’s all about putting the ball in the net any way he can. He can scuff them in and, to be honest, you very rarely strike a ball cleanly when you score.

“He’s a strong lad who thinks goals. They are the only thing on his mind. He likes to get in and around the box and is not afraid of missing either.”

Fellow substitute Levi Mackin went on to score the home side’s winning goal on 85 minutes after Forest Green striker Reece Styche had levelled the scores from the penalty spot.

Mackin’s 20-yard strike was only his second goal during three seasons with the Minstermen and Mills is pleased with the former Wrexham midfielder’s progress after biding his time for a recall following the medial knee ligament injury he suffered on the opening day of the season.

The City chief added: “We will give Levi 90 minutes against Pickering in the North Riding Cup tomorrow night.

“He’s got two good feet and it was a great strike with his left boot across the ’keeper. He made a difference when he came on, as did Chris Carruthers.”

Mackin and Reed were both introduced at half-time as, for a second successive Saturday against well-organised lowly opposition, Mills switched from a 4-3-3 formation to 4-4-2.

The City boss admitted he had even contemplated making the change earlier, saying: “We weren’t getting anywhere and I thought about doing it before half-time.

“They set up with a bank of four and five across the middle and we weren’t opening them up. I decided to put an extra man up there with Ranks and force the play more.

“The result wasn’t perfect but a bit better and I’m absolutely delighted because they came into it once we scored and we did not have enough of the ball. Levi, bless his heart, came up with a fantastic finish though.

“People look at Forest Green and, when you go a goal up, they think you will score three or four but it doesn’t work that way. They are a good, solid side who are difficult to beat. It was a big, big game for us to get over Tuesday night mentally and it was important to get three points regardless of how we got them.”

Reserve ’keeper David Knight made his debut for City on Saturday in place of the suspended Michael Ingham whose sending off led to the 5-0 midweek mauling at Luton.

The former Middlesbrough trainee had a quiet afternoon but Mills pointed out that he would have no problem calling on Knight’s services again, adding: “I don’t think he had a save to make but he had to deal with a couple of dodgy back passes, which was always going to be tricky for both ’keepers on that pitch. It’s hard to get a good number two at this level but we’ve got one.”

Knight was beaten by Styche from the spot on 75 minutes and Mills accepted referee Darren Hendley’s decision after Chris Smith collided with the away substitute.

The City boss said: “It looked a penalty and my skipper was sloppy in the way he put the ball out before it. His clearance should have gone in row Z because they took a quick throw-in and he ended up giving a penalty away.”

Mills was pleased, however, with the manner in which his side protected their three points by penning Rovers in near the same corner flag for the final five minutes.

He said: “That was worth the entrance fee alone and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The crowd can sometimes get frustrated and want you to put the ball in the box, but it’s good play to wind the clock down like that.

“Ranks proved how strong a lad he is and they were getting frustrated and giving free-kicks away. As great as scoring a good goal is, excellent play in the corner like that is just as important sometimes.”