YORK City striker Andy Bishop's international recognition could have come at a high price for the KitKat Crescent club.

The Minstermen's ten-goal leading marksman limped out of Saturday's home match against Exeter because of tendonitis in his knee on 53 minutes with the score 1-1.

City went on to lose 2-1 and missed Bishop's presence up front where he is a key component in manager Billy McEwan's 4-5-1 formation.

The 22-year-old striker aggravated the injury while turning out for the National Game XI non-league side against Holland last month.

He has since played for City with the problem but could not carry on against Exeter and McEwan said afterwards: "It is an injury that Andy had before he went away with England and I wasn't too chuffed really when he aggravated it.

"He should have pulled out of the squad and not played in that game but he ended up playing three matches in a week and we have suffered. He has turned out for most of the games to be fair to the lad but it caught up with him against Exeter and that's disappointing because we missed his aerial strength."

City went ahead after Jon Maloney's 38th-minute header but went on to lose a match in which they had scored first for the first time this season with both goals conceded from corners.

McEwan felt referee Amy Rainer made a mistake for the winning goal believing it should have been disallowed for a foul on Chris Porter and said: "I think everybody would accept that it was a foul and we were very disappointed with the official on that decision."

But, for the first goal, the City boss was upset with Bishop's choice to contest one of Rainer's decisions rather than challenge for the ball which led to Exeter equalising from a flag kick in the first minute of stoppage time.

He said: "It was a game in which we couldn't defend two set plays and if you can't defend set plays you will always have problems. Inexperience and naivety at the near post cost us for the first goal but we knew Alex Jeannin was going to deliver good corners and what I didn't want to do was give them away.

"I was really angry with the way we conceded it because it could have been avoided. We were appealing for a decision further up the pitch instead of going for the ball."

McEwan, though, admitted he was still encouraged by the team's progress despite the defeat against a strong Exeter team.

He said: "They had players like Sean Devine who would walk into our team and he was on the bench. That's no reflection on our players or being negative, that's just the way it is.

"They had some good experienced players and there are times when our players have to think for themselves on the pitch. They didn't on occasions or, if they did, they made the wrong decisions but they have worked their socks off for me so far and that's all you ask for. I'll have to work on the other side of the game.

"We have still got a lot of work to do and it's just the start of something here. I just hope we keep improving."

Updated: 11:13 Monday, March 07, 2005