YORK City striker Andy Bishop is hoping for a more sporting contest at Woking on Saturday after being spat on, hit and squealed at during his last match.

Bishop played for the England National Game XI side against an Italian Serie 'C' under-21 representative team and, while enjoying the trip, he was not impressed by the opposition's antics.

The former Walsall forward helped the non-League Under-23 side clinch an excellent 1-0 win with Minstermen team-mate David Stockdale also coming on in goal as a late substitute.

But, after returning to Bootham Crescent yesterday, Bishop said: "They were not bad at all defensively but they spat at you, hit you and dived a lot. They were dirty all over the park but every time you hit them they squealed.

"It was a different style of football all together and the game will be nothing like that at Woking but hopefully we can get a win there as well."

Bishop is now hoping for future call-ups for a game in Belgium, as well as the Home Nations tournament at the end of the season, and added: "Even though the manager was going to give everybody a run I played about 82 minutes because we were only leading 1-0 and had never beaten them before. I thought I played well and the team played really well.

"We were playing the Italian side who reached the semi-finals of the Olympics but it was as if we had played together every week.

"We were also looked after superbly during our stay. Everything was done for us and it was a great experience - a bit different - and nice to have a break."

Bishop and Stockdale both flew out to Italy on the day City boss Chris Brass was relieved of his duties.

But the 22-year-old striker admitted that he only found out about his manager's dismissal last Monday when he returned to England three days later and is still disappointed by the news, saying: "The manager actually phoned me on Thursday to tell me and it was a bit gutting as he brought me to the club and I don't think he was really given the resources to bring players in."

Teenage striker Levent Yalcin staked his claim for a starting place alongside Bishop at Woking with a goal in last night's 2-1 reserve victory over Huddersfield Town.

Fit-again midfielder Kevin Donovan was also on the scoresheet and on-loan Aston Villa defender Lee Grant impressed at the back.

City's reserve game at Boston on November 24 will now be played at Bootham Crescent, kick-off 7pm.

Updated: 09:43 Tuesday, November 16, 2004