DELIGHTED boss Gary Mills has argued Newport and Forest Green’s loss is York City’s gain after watching Jon Parkin plunder his 15th goal of the season.

Parkin netted for the seventh time is as many league games, as the Minstermen took a positive stride towards safety with Asa Hall and Amari Morgan-Smith joining him on the scoresheet in a 3-0 home win over Braintree.

The 35-year-old veteran was deemed surplus to requirements at previous clubs Newport and Forest Green who would both now welcome his marksmanship in their respective relegation and promotion battles with the latter’s title hopes suffering a painful blow following a 1-0 home defeat to North Ferriby today.

Parkin opened the scoring against Braintree with a spectacular 11th-minute free kick while Mills decided to substitute him for the first time in ten matches at the death so he could receive a rousing standing ovation.

“It took a bit of quality from Jon to get us going,” Mills pointed out. “They had started better than us and it was our first real chance but, someone of his quality doing that, changes games.

“He’s scoring goals and enjoying his football and is probably disappointed that I brought him off with a minute to go, because he wants to carry on his run of playing every second. But I thought he deserved the standing ovation and that was the only reason I did it because I thought he was immense again and I wanted him to know everyone appreciates how he’s playing.

“Like myself, maybe he wants to prove people wrong and what he’s capable of, because I can’t believe Newport let him go, where they are. I think people at Forest Green maybe also got carried away with his age, thinking he should just come on for 15 minutes, because I feel we are getting the best out of him by playing him for 93 minutes every match or even two hours at Lincoln in the Trophy.”

Parkin has been behind the likes of Sean Newton and Simon Lappin in the pecking order for set-piece duty this season, while Yan Klukoswki also blasted in a memorable stoppage-time equaliser at Sutton last month.

Even Mills confessed that he has never seen the former Stoke and Hull forward work on his free-kick technique and reasoned: “We’ve got options in those situations.

“The players do practice them in training, without going over the top, but I can’t remember seeing Jonny practice them, so maybe he does it in his back garden!”

Danny Holmes won the foul for Parkin’s opener and Mills was also pleased with the job the former Tranmere utility man did at right-wing back, deputising for injured skipper Simon Heslop in the only change from the first XI that started Tuesday night’s 3-1 triumph at Macclesfield.

“I thought Holmesy was excellent,” Mills enthused. “For somebody who isn’t the biggest, he gets up and heads the ball well.

“He also reads the game well and never lets you down. I think Simon Heslop has been outstanding there so, to come in and do just as well, takes some doing.”

Mills believes, meanwhile, that the Minstermen are now seeing the best of central midfield duo Hall and Adriano Moke, adding: “They have been tremendous during the last two games after we had a little conversation with them about winning more second balls, which they have done.

“Mokes was full of energy until the end and he is getting better and better at the right time for us. Their work was also complemented by the wing-backs, who enabled Asa to get forward for his goal.”

The City boss went on to hail a first league clean sheet in ten matches since the 0-0 away draw against Aldershot in January.

“It was nice to be 3-0 up in injury time, but the most important thing was to keep a clean sheet and I thought our keeper (Scott Loach) was excellent in terms of commanding his box and organising the defence,” Mills said.

Sean Newton was limping after the game but is expected to be fit for Tuesday night’s home clash with Bromley, when Yan Klukowski will also be available after recovering from the calf problem that has seen him miss the last six matches.

On Newton, Mills smiled: “He got a bang on his foot before half-time, but he won’t come off unless he has to be carried off.”