GRAHAM Alexander has no intention of curtailing the back three's attacking adventures.

City's pattern of play encourages the centre halves to be part of the action when the team get forward in numbers.

Neill Byrne delivered the cross that led to City's opening goal for Antoni Sarcevic against Barnsley on the defender's first league home start of the season.

"It's something that has evolved over the last 18 months," said Alexander.

"When we started with three at the back, it was a 3-5-2 and it didn't work that way.

"It was only when we went to a 3-4-3 and were trying to get that extra player in the attacking side that we recognised that our centre halves could step into that and underlap, overlap and go like Byrner overlapping Josh (Neufville) and getting a cross in.

"I think the defenders see it as a bit of an adventure when they get up there. It's a bit of a free hit.

"They can do something that they've probably watched other players do in the past and fancy giving it a go.

"I think we've got the players that have the willingness and the technical ability to go and join in so why not."

Josh Wright launched a City counter-attack from a Barnsley corner by taking the ball from his own penalty area to over the halfway line. Tom McIntyre has also shown a readiness to push forward if a gap is there.

It does demand extra fitness from the centre halves to cover more ground.

City boss Alexander added: "It opens up another 30 metres of pitch for them to gallop into. But they are fit guys.

"The group of centre halves we have are really athletic. They are very mobile but you have to have a good endurance to be able to do it.

"If we defend as a team, we want to attack as a team. We can't just limit them to a certain amount of the pitch, we want them to go for it and I really think they enjoy it."