In at the deep end

The 21-year-old hotshot, who signed on a month's loan from Aston Villa on Wednesday, met his new team-mates for the first time only yesterday but will form a fresh striking partnership with Alex Mathie as boss Terry Dolan bids to end City's poor run with a glut of goals.

Darlington-born Tarrant, who cost Villa £250,000 - a record fee for a Scottish Third Division player - when he signed from Ross County in 1999, has already outlined his desire to fire City up the Division Three table.

And boss Terry Dolan is hoping the 6ft 1in striker, who has netted three times in ten Scotland Under-21 internationals, can give the side another attacking dimension alongside former Newcastle and Ipswich hitman Mathie.

"He will give us more height up front and he can score goals as well," said Dolan of the player who was the Scottish PFA's divisional player of the season when helping County win the division three title in 1998/9.

"I've been aware of his ability from when I was at Huddersfield Town, who watched him before he went to Villa, and we're glad to bring him here."

The man to make way is top-scorer David McNiven, despite his bagging his fourth goal of the season in Tuesday's 2-1 defeat at Lincoln City.

"I've been pleased with David's progress but I just think Alex Mathie's experience alongside Neil Tarrant is the better option at the moment," said Dolan.

"But I will have David and Barry Conlon on the bench which gives us good back-up."

It is all change in defence, too, with right-back Darren Edmondson coming back from suspension and centre-half Martin Reed, who was in the squad that travelled to Lincoln, looking set to make his first start of the season.

The 22-year-old, who was a non-playing substitute twice in September, has started only two games under Dolan, namely in the final two matches of last season.

But the boss said: "To be fair to Reedy, he would have got his chance a couple of weeks ago but he was poorly with a chest problem. He's recovered from that now and gets a go."

Dolan had criticised the back four after the late Lincoln goal at Sincil Bank cost City a point, and the two players to lose their places after that defeat are makeshift centre-back Colin Alcide and Barry Jones.

While it is not surprising that Alcide misses out - he only filled in an unaccustomed role due to suspensions and illnesses - the dropping of last season's player of the year, Jones, is more of a shock.

But Dolan said: "I've not seen the same Barry Jones that I saw at the back end of last season. He's not shown anything like the form of last term, but all players go through those phases."

Meanwhile, left-back Wayne Hall, who has missed the last two games with a thigh injury, is likely to start training again next week and could be back playing within a fortnight, while hamstring injury victim Kevin Hulme came through light training this week.

Dolan has also been boosted by the news that veteran defender Chris Fairclough, who has played only three games since December, has seen the specialist about his troublesome knee and was given the all-clear to step up his training. He could be playing reserve-team football early next month.

G-Force twin threat to City - Page 20

Don't forget to click onto www.thisisyork.co.uk to read Peter Martini's internet match report on Saturday night