York City v Dagenham and Redbridge: Wilcox hopes training will sharpen up York

Dagenham & Redbridge head to Bootham Crescent hoping to extend the hosts’ poor run of just one goal in the last five games.

Even allowing for January having been a tough month that saw York face several of the promotion chasing pack, things must improve or chances are the club will be pulled even deeper into relegation trouble.

Wilcox said: “We had our fair share of chances at Southend and you have to take them. One goal in five games is not good enough, but I believe we have the players here to change that, We have quality up the top of the pitch.

“Our focus in training this week has been working hard in the final third. We have to get back scoring.

“Dagenham & Redbridge come here in decent form. They have taken nine points from six games and Wayne (Burnett, manager) has done an excellent job, considering the money he has available.

“But if we can perform as well as we did in the Burton and Southend games and then add the killer instinct, we should have a good chance.”

York’s scoring problems were vividly illustrated last week in the 1-0 defeat at Southend, when an 88th-minute penalty for the hosts came after Wilcox’s men had created and spurned several excellent chances.

He said: “Of course, conceding late goals is frustrating, but we can’t look back, just forward. Our next game is against a side near us and we have done well against those teams this season.

“Hartlepool and Carlisle both spring to mind. They were both big victories (3-1 and 3-0 respectively away from home) that gave us a lot of impetus. Beating Dagenham & Redbridge could do the same.”