Lung-Busting midfielder Kevin Hulme has set his in-form team-mates a brand new goal - overtake the club who let him go.

The 32-year-old dynamo was sitting out this afternoon's match with Brighton at Bootham Crescent - out for the rest of the season after incurring a four-match ban for his sending off against Darlington earlier this month.

But although his season's work on the pitch is now complete, the engine room marauder will continue to egg on his team-mates from the sidelines - in the hope he can get one over his old club Halifax Town.

The West Yorkshire outfit allowed Hulme to move to Bootham Crescent in September when they were riding high and had one eye on promotion.

But while their form has continued to waver, City have dramatically turned the corner.

The Minsterman have been unbeaten in eight games, coinciding with Hulme's return from injury and culminating in last Saturday's win at high-flying Cheltenham, in which the Buryite gave a non-stop man-of-the-match display.

The gap between the clubs is now just two places and four points, and the Shaymen visit Bootham in the penultimate game of the season.

Unfortunately for Hulme, he won't have a say in that match.

But victory over Brighton today and Chester on Easter Monday could see City leapfrog over the Shaymen before next Saturday's encounter.

Said Hulme: "From my point of view I hope the lads can keep going until the end of the season and stay unbeaten.

"If we can catch Halifax it would be a bonus.

"When I joined City we were near the bottom and they were third but we're not far off them now and it would be magic if we could get above them.

"We're now playing well and it was a great win on Saturday. We've got a good spirit at the moment and we're all battling well."

As revealed in the Evening Press, Hulme may well have missed City's last four games of the campaign even without the suspension he incurred after the Quakers duel.

The midfielder was dealt a straight red card for serious foul play after bringing down Darlo's former Minsterman marksman Marco Gabbiadini, and as he had been sent off earlier in the season, the automatic three match-ban was increased to four.

However, Hulme said he had been promised a break anyway to finally sort out a minor problem following treatment for a double hernia.

Said Hulme: "The gaffer has been good to me and has said all along that he would be giving me a rest after we were mathematically safe, so that I could have an anchor stitch taken out of my stomach. So in that respect the suspension does not matter."

Meanwhile, boss Terry Dolan - not known for singling out individual players - was quick to praise Hulme after last Saturday's showing.

"I thought Hulme was exceptional," he said. "I think he realised it was his last game of the season and has worked very hard.

"He and Steve Agnew are two experienced players who have done very well for us."

Hulme's suspension means City's record of having never tasted defeat when he and Agnew are paired together in the centre of midfield remains intact until next season.

He is scheduled to see a specialist next week to resolve the anchor stitch problem.

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