NEW signing Scott Jones helped steer York City to within a whisker of Football League safety with a 2-0 win over Lincoln City then jokingly admitted he thought he'd joined the wrong team.

Jones was a second-half substitute as City overcame the challenge of the Imps to climb three places up the Division Three table to 20th position courtesy of goals from Lee Bullock and Lee Nogan.

It was Bullock's stunning blast coming after less than two minutes of a City opening blitz that set the Minstermen on the path for glory and left Jones, who'd only linked up with his new team-mates on the eve of the match, stunned.

"I thought 'hang-on, I've come to Real Madrid'," he joked.

"It was a great first touch from Lee and he rifled it in the top corner for a good finish. In that spell we were playing great football, it was almost five-a-side football, and we were creating chances and it was good to watch.

"That's what people pay their money for, they don't watch to see the ball hoofed in the corners, and as I was a spectator in the first-half it was great to watch."

The 26-year-old, who has joined City on loan until the end of the season from Bristol Rovers, admitted the fact City had a 2-0 advantage by half-time made it difficult to reproduce their enterprising form in a disappointing second-half showing.

"We'd pretty much killed the game off very early and in any game you are going to go through spells where it doesn't quite go right for you. The only thing was that spell probably went on a bit longer than we wanted in the second-half," he explained. "But it was more a case of not conceding and it is all about points at this stage in the season."

The win leaves City just one place short of their highest ranking in 2002, indeed their highest position since November. More importantly City are now 12 points clear of bottom club Halifax Town and have played two games less than the Shaymen. Because of their far superior goal difference City just need just three points to make their Football League status all but secure.

City boss Terry Dolan admitted Bullock's early blast had been important but reckoned City had also learned from their 1-0 defeat to Kidderminster at the weekend.

"To get a goal so early was helpful and meant we were on the front foot and I thought we played some excellent football," he said.

"We learned from Saturday when we played well without getting a goal then had a lapse of concentration.

"There was no lapse this time and a lot of credit for that must go to Chris Brass for his experience and the way he pulled people around at the back.

"But everyone did well. Young Leigh Wood has got another game under his belt and in the first-half Graham Potter and Darren Edmondson were positive to give us width down the flanks.

York City reserves were looking to follow the senior squad's lead tonight when they took on Lincoln City reserves at Sincil Bank in an Avon Insurance League Division One clash, kick-off 2pm. Featuring in the squad was trialist Greg Pearce, from Chesterfield.

City reserves: Howarth, Law, O'Kane, Rhodes, Fielding, Pearce, McKenzie, Coad, McCabe, Emmerson, Thompson. Subs: Collinson, Anderson, Arthur, Grant.

Updated: 10:14 Wednesday, March 27, 2002