Months of frustration are coming to an end for York City defender Gary Hobson bringing a welcome shot in the arm for the club.

Given recent results, much has been made of City manager Terry Dolan's desire to bring in new blood.

But with the likes of Darren Edmondson, Lee Bullock and Hobson in particular edging closer and closer to fitness then City are in line for a welcome surge of 'fresh' faces without having to enter into the transfer market.

After four months out following a knee problem that later required surgery, Hobson admitted he was relishing a return to the fray but the recent changeable weather was hampering his fight for full fitness.

The experienced central defender said: "It would be nice to get a full week's training in. At the moment the weather is disrupting everything.

"If I can get through this week and then get a couple of reserve games under my belt I won't be too far away.

"It is very frustrating. It has been a long time to be out and it is probably the longest time I have ever been out.

"That was probably because I played with the problem for quite a while and it deteriorated while I was playing.

"Hence, it has taken longer to recover.

"We didn't know what it was for a good while and once we found out what the problem was we knew it was going to take a long while because it is one of those things that takes time to heal.

"I am feeling a lot better and more confident about it now and I'm getting a fair bit of fitness work done now and am playing plenty of little games.

"Two weeks is a nice target and we have got a few games coming up now so we need as many fit bodies as we can."

Tickets for City's match at Brighton on February 24 are now on sale at Bootham Crescent, priced £13.50 for adults and £8.50 for concessions.

The 344 allocated tickets are seated only and must be bought in advance.

Updated: 09:50 Thursday, February 08, 2001