YORK City's intermediates will face Hartlepool United in the first round of this season's FA Youth Cup.

The City youngsters will have home advantage for the clash, which must be staged by October 27.

City's young guns have already crossed swords with their 'Pool counterparts this season, drawing 2-2 in a Youth Alliance North-East Conference encounter.

The City teenagers will be looking to emulate the success of last year when the side coached by Paul Stancliffe and Brian Neaves reached the fourth round of the prestigious competition, one of only two youth teams from Third Division clubs to do so.

In better news on the injury front for City, boss Terry Dolan revealed defender Gary Hobson could return to training next week.

Hobson has been sidelined since the North Riding FA Senior Cup final against Middlesbrough last month with a series of injuries, most recently an Achilles problem.

With no reserve team game this week, striker Alex Mathie successfully came through a practice match staged at the club's training ground yesterday.

Hartlepool manager Chris Turner has secured the services of former City loanee Anthony Ormerod from Middlesbrough in a month's loan deal.

Winger Ormerod played 13 times for City under former boss Neil Thompson but has failed to establish himself at the Riverside.

Updated: 11:50 Thursday, September 20, 2001