FORWARD-thinking York City boss Terry Dolan today charged new signing Kieron Durkan with supplying the ammunition to end the Minstermen's blank returns.

As first revealed on the Evening Press website - www.thisisyork.co.uk - yesterday, Dolan has landed the former Republic of Ireland Under-21 international on a month's loan from Macclesfield Town.

"Hopefully he will give us a bit more going forward," said Dolan. "Last Saturday was the first time we have created nothing in a game and I don't want it to continue.

"He likes to play wide on the right and we haven't really got anyone who can play that role.

"We have players who can slot in and do a job but no natural wide player."

Durkan will be expected to supply the chances for new striker Alex Mathie and increase City's potency in front of goal. York have scored just seven League goals so far, including just one in their last four games.

Today Durkan said: "I need a fresh start and hopefully this is it," adding that he would like it to become a permanent move if things go well in the next few weeks.

Durkan conceded that he was probably not part of Macclesfield manager Peter Davenport's plans.

"He is changing the system around and wants to bring in his own players which is fair enough because he is the manager," said Durkan, 26, who started his career with Wrexham before moving to Stockport County for a fee of around £100,000 in 1996.

A former team mate of both Barry Jones and Mark Sertori, he was a regular member of the first team at Edgeley Park before an ankle injury sidelined him at the start of the 1997-98 season.

He signed for Macclesfield in March 1998 for a fee of around £15,000 and his Moss Rose career blossomed during the latter stages of the Silkmen's unsuccessful fight to stave off relegation from Division Two.

It was during his time at Wrexham that Durkan earned his five Eire Under-21 caps and won a Welsh Cup winners medal for Wrexham.

That victory saw Wrexham and Durkan play in the European Cup Winners' Cup the following season, although the Welsh outfit crashed out at the first hurdle.

Despite being a virtual ever-present last season, Durkan has found his first-team opportunities limited this time around with Silkmen boss Davenport favouring a new formation.

He scored six goals last term, including one against the Minstermen in the 1-1 draw at Moss Rose in March.

Dolan said he had been keeping tabs on Durkan for sometime and was made aware of his availability on Monday.

"He is a player I have always liked," said the City chief, who revealed Christian Fox had returned to training after recovering from a hamstring injury while defender Gary Hobson was also expected to train today.

The former Brighton skipper has missed City's last two matches with a knee injury but Dolan said the swelling had now disappeared.

Durkan's arrival followed the departure of Andrew Dawson from Bootham Crescent, as reported in later editions of yesterday's Evening Press.

Strikers Barry Conlon and John Williams are expected to field questions from the floor at City Reds' night in the social club at Bootham Crescent tonight, from 6pm to 8pm.

l Defender Mike Ford has been named as the new caretaker manager of Oxford United. Ford takes charge of first team affairs following the resignation of former York City boss Denis Smith.

dave.stanford@ycp.co.uk