Ollie Pearce has stressed the need for York City to end their away win drought as they prepare for a trip to Newport County. The forward, who scored the late equaliser in last week's 1-1 draw with Northampton Town, acknowledged recent poor performances on the road but insisted the squad is focused on turning things around.

Pearce's 85th-minute strike salvaged a point at home after Joe O'Brien Whitmarsh had put Northampton ahead early on. "I was pleased with the reaction second half," Pearce said. "But especially at home, not happy about dropping two points." The result left York fifth in the League Two table with 15 points from nine games, a solid position but one they are eager to improve from.

Away form a clear focus

York have not won an away match in the league this season, a fact Pearce and the team are acutely aware of. "It has been made a big thing that we haven't won away yet," the forward admitted. "It hasn't worked in a couple of games and we have been poor away, but we accept it and move on." He emphasised that the squad remains professional and determined to get what he called "the away win monkey off our back as early as possible."

The step up to League Two has presented new challenges, with Pearce noting the increased quality. "We are in a different league now and there are better teams at home who obviously want to try and get results," he explained. This has led to a different tactical landscape compared to last season, where some opponents sat deep. Pearce believes consistency over the full 90 minutes is the key to unlocking results on their travels.

Building on a bright start

Despite the away struggles, Pearce has started the season brightly on a personal level, contributing four goals and four assists.

The immediate focus is firmly on Saturday's fixture at Rodney Parade. Newport County sit 12th in the table, making it a prime opportunity for York to claim that elusive away victory. A win could see them close the four-point gap to leaders Salford City. Following that, attention turns to a quick turnaround with a home game against Accrington Stanley on Tuesday night. This season's squad depth and form can be tracked via our squad and standings pages. York City travel to face Newport County on Saturday, 17 October, aiming to break their away duck and continue their push in the upper reaches of League Two.

More detail at gazetteherald.co.uk