GETTING into the habit of winning football matches is the challenge facing York City as they begin their final week of pre-season fixtures.

Minstermen manager Gary Mills has been drumming into his side the need to dig in and get results and they ground out a 2-1 win against League One Hartlepool on Saturday at Bootham Crescent.

A thumping free-kick from Ashley Chambers and a stoppage time goal from Jamal Fyfield secured York victory and Mills, while admitting there were things to work on, was delighted with the end product.

“We’ve talked about results,” he said. “We have to start getting wins, getting into good habits of winning football matches and we have beaten Hartlepool. I’m pleased.

“We’ve got the win. There was some good stuff. There was some stuff to work on but I’m delighted.

“In the first half, we didn’t get going and play the way we can. The urgency wasn’t there enough. But we came in at 0-0 and, when we aren’t playing and passing the ball like I know we can, you have to dig in.

“That’s part of the talking we have been doing. You’ve got to hang in there and go in with a clean sheet.

“When you do that, you have a chance of winning the game and that’s exactly how it panned out.”

Mills hopes Chambers’ free-kick strike, a powerful, curling effort into the top corner in the 68th minute, can act as a springboard for the forward, who struggled to find the net towards the end of last season.

“It’s no hidden secret,” Mills added. “He’s a good player but he’s just lacked that finishing touch. He’s working on that, he knows that. I feel it’s more a mental thing than a lack of being able to do it. I know he can do it.

“It’s that mental belief and, obviously, sticking one in the top corner will give him a boost and bode well for the next game.”

He continued: “I know what a great player Ashley Chambers can be. I know what he is capable of.”

City were without centre-half David McGurk, who had undergone a minor throat operation, and, while he might miss the Halifax encounter, he is expected to be back in the squad for Bolton on Saturday. But David McDermott’s foot injury continues to make only slow progress.

Having now seen his team through seven pre-season encounters, Mills has concluded that he has a squad capable of challenging on several fronts – as long as they share his belief.

He said: “I believe we have got a set of players who are capable of winning football matches. I believe we have got better players in the side to open teams up.

“I’ve certainly got a striker down the middle that will get me goals, that will bring players into the game, and will create goals.

“I feel I have midfield players who can create and can get goals. We are younger. We are hungry.

“I think we have got a good squad. Now when the season starts on August 13 things change slightly.

“There are three points at stake. There is a league title at stake, FA Trophy at stake and third round of the FA Cup at stake. My team have to go and succeed and do all of those. I believe we can.”