YORK City midfielder Stephen Brackstone is hoping his Minstermen team-mates can give his fitness fight an extra spur with victory over Hartlepool United tonight (5.35pm).

The stylish young midfielder has been out of action since before Christmas, when the ex-Middlesbrough schemer underwent surgery to have his appendix removed.

The former England youth international is edging closer to full-fitness but admits missing out on today's televised clash with Hartlepool, the league leaders and his home-town club, has been a particularly bitter pill to swallow.

"It is disappointing to miss such a big game, especially with the television cameras being there that gives it added spice," lamented the 20 year-old.

Anxious to make up for lost time and play his part in City's promotion quest, Brackstone is hopeful he may play a part in City's reserve team clash at Grimsby Town on Wednesday.

"Things are going really well and I've been doing a lot of work with Kev (Hornsby, City's fitness coach) and I've been getting in some ball work," he explained.

"Hopefully, I might get some part of the reserve game under my belt but that will be up to the coaching staff and Jeff Miller, the club's physio.

"But I can't wait to get back. The lads have been doing absolutely brilliant and it is going to be hard work getting my place back but it just makes you all the more determined to get back and be a part of it. I just hope the team's run continues tomorrow."

Sibling rivalry has given Brackstone another extra spur for wanting City to secure victory over United today.

His younger brother, John, a left-back, is a second-year youth trainee with United and like Brackstone senior has been sidelined in recent weeks with a broken leg.

But rather than being brothers at war the Brackstone boys have been helping each other in their fitness battles.

"We've been doing quite a lot of fitness work together which has helped," he explained.

"We've had two very different injuries but it all comes down to the same thing, getting fit again."

Reliving the "nightmare" of his appendicitis, diagnosed after he was substituted midway through the first-half of City's 1-1 draw with Lincoln back in December, Brackstone said: "I had a stomach ache in the afternoon before the game but thought I might be able to play through it.

"It just got worse and I had to go off. It was a shock and a total nightmare.

"One minute you're playing and looking to keep your place in the side, the next you're in hospital.

"It was probably going to happen sooner or later though. When they removed the appendix they found it was gangrenous ."

Updated: 09:39 Saturday, February 15, 2003