ROVERS returned from York on Saturday with a hard earned point after a battling performance.

Although the game will not be remembered as a classic, those of us who had made the trip up to Yorkshire regarded it as a point gained rather than two points dropped.

Defensively we were well organised and the leadership of Parkes, combined with the calm assurance of McChrystal, repelled a number of attacks by the dangerous Minstermen.

Mildenhall also continued his fine form this season with a couple of excellent point blank saves to keep us in the match while full backs Smith and Brown again impressed.

However, it was a familiar story going forward as the lack of wide players limited our options and we failed to pose a serious threat.

Harrold cut a lonely figure up front as he lacked support from midfield to carve out many opportunities and aside from a couple of headers, had minimal impact.

Rovers did liven up in the last 10 minutes as they went looking for the winner, but in truth we did not do enough to win the game and a draw was a fair result.

A point away to a side that had been on a good run of recent form was a satisfactory return and despite the lack of goals it was an entertaining contest between two committed teams.

If we can win our home games and pick up points away we will soon move up the table and forget about any relegation concerns.

To achieve that aim Ward does urgently need a couple of new faces to freshen up the squad and provide more attacking impetus, particularly in the wide positions.

The Pirates now face a hugely important week, with six points up for grabs in two home games.

First up is Newport on Saturday, when we will be looking for revenge for the defeat at Rodney Parade earlier in the season, followed by Accrington’s visit to the Mem next Tuesday.

Two victories from those fixtures would lift us up the table and provide a huge confidence boost for the rest of the season.