York new boys proving their worth

York boss Nigel Worthington has hailed January arrivals Nick Pope, Keith Lowe, Russell Penn and Jon McCombe.

The Minstermen were 20th in League Two on New Year's Day, above the relegation zone only on goal difference, but the signings of goalkeeper Pope, defenders Lowe and McCombe and midfielder Penn have transformed Worthington's side into play-off contenders. York have lost only two league games this year and their latest three-game winning run has lifted them to within two points of the top seven. "You get great experience from Lowe, McCombe and Penn in league football and that's been a huge help," said Worthington. "But I still maintain our performances during 2013 were pretty good, we just weren't getting the results. "Keeping clean sheets is the foundation you can build on when you're trying to take the team forward and this comes from within the team and this is very important. "Pope has also played his part in that and I can't emphasise enough how important clean sheets are - then you can start to build and shape the team how you want to." Pope joined on loan until the end of the season from Charlton, while two-and-half-year deals were signed by Lowe and Penn, who both arrived from Cheltenham, and McCombe, who had just been released by Mansfield.