York City's Jeff Miller must feel like installing a revolving door to his physio room at Bootham Crescent.

No sooner than a couple of players got off the treatment table this week to resume training than their places were taken by two more of City's walking wounded.

After spending the last few weeks recovering, Alex Mathie and Mike Basham are being pencilled in for Wednesday night's reserve team game at Grimsby Town.

The pair were rushed into last night's party which travelled to Mansfield because Gary Hobson and Lee Bullock joined the injured list.

Bullock has a groin strain but it its Hobson's injury, a medial knee ligament, which is of greater concern.

The luckless Hobson missed much of last season through injury and City will be keeping their fingers crossed that his current injury is not as bad as first feared.

In the circumstances, the fact City did not have a second-string outing this past week left manager Terry Dolan grateful for small mercies.

Midfielder Aidan O'Kane returned to training this week after shaking off the bug that saw City's reserve team game with Lincoln City last week cancelled because of a lack of available fit players.

However, Peter Duffield, who is also back in training after suffering a second broken leg inside a year, was this week laid low by the virus, bringing his comeback march to a temporary halt.

Providing City did not pick up any more injuries at Mansfield last night, central defender John Fielding (ankle) and Marc Salvati, who has broken a bone in his foot, are still out of action.

EX-YORK City defender Mark Sertori captained the Northern Premier League, otherwise known as the UniBond League select XI, to a rare victory over an FA XI in midweek.

Sertori, now plying his trade with Altrincham, led his side to a 4-3 victory over their Nationwide Conference counterparts courtesy of Hyde United's Simon Yeo's last minute winner.

It is the first time the NPL have beaten the FA XI since 1995. Sertori was also named man of the match by the game's sponsors.

A GROUP of footballing City fans will be looking for high-fives this weekend.

Shaun Turner, Adam Cook, Mark Willoughby, Paul Drake, Graham Bootland and Glen Pallister will be representing the Minstermen in a national five-a-side tournament for supporters tomorrow.

The York City Fives will take on their counterparts from Torquay in tomorrow's fourth round in Nottingham.

After beating Fulham 11-2 in the second-round, the lads beat the Hartlepool Fives on penalties in October's third round.

The York Five will be confident of clipping the Gulls' wings tomorrow, having reached the semi-final of last year's competition,

The tournament gives fans the chance to represent their nominated professional club in a national five-a-side tournament.

The final will serve as a curtain-raiser to the Worthington Cup in February with the winners receiving an all-expenses paid trip in Europe.

City's other fan-based team, the Yorkie Bars, are still left searching for their first win of the season after a narrow 5-3 defeat to Hibernian Supporters.

The Bars produced one of their better performances for a while but despite a late fight back and goals from Michael Stockdale, Will Thornton and Peter George they were unable to salvage a draw.

CITY'S battling display against Colchester United proved a record-breaker.

Prior to Saturday's scoreless stalemate, the U's had gone 45 games since suffering a 0-0 draw.

Only First Division Watford, who had gone 53 games, had a longer goalless record in the Football League.

Ironically, just as United's blank run was coming to an end at the hands of City last weekend, so to was Watford's as the Hornets were also held 0-0 by Gillingham.

YORK City provided the first and last line of defence in this week's Nationwide Football League Division Three team of the week.

Goalkeeper Alan Fettis and striker Michael Proctor were both featured in the team following their performances in the 2-0 defeat to Scunthorpe United.