PLAYERS on the fringes of the York City first team are suffering because of a lack of reserve games.

Monday's scheduled match would have been the first game in five weeks for the second string but injury-ridden Halifax Town asked for the game to be postponed, meaning the reserves will not see any action until the end of the month unless they get a call up to the first team.

The reserves last played on September 6 when they lost 3-2 at Grimsby and their next game is not scheduled until October 27 when they travel to Darlington.

Player-manager Chris Brass said: "It has been frustrating. We have had to cancel one because of injuries and Halifax cancelled Monday's game because of their own injury crisis.

"It's more frustrating for the likes of Sean Davies and Shaun Smith, who haven't been able to get a game, although it was pleasing that Sean did come in and did quite well on Saturday."

Reserve games have long been used as a vehicle of recovery for injured players, a nursery ground for up-and-coming youth teamers and as a shop window for trialists.

Five months ago, the axe was hovering over the team in the wake of pending post-relegation finance cuts, but the club's board of directors decided against scrapping it because of its importance to the progression of players to first team football.

But, ironically, a patchy fixture list and a series of injury-enforced cancellations have meant City have only played two games in the Pontin's Holidays League all season and only one during the whole of September.

Frustration is now setting in as the players realise that without match fitness and sharpness, a place in the first team becomes harder to get, yet even if they are thrown an opportunity because of injury, it is more difficult to cement a start because of that lack of practice.

Brass added: "They are working exceptionally hard to keep their levels of fitness up and they want to get a game but at this level where most teams have got small squads, everybody is in a similar situation. And if you start carrying injuries, you know it's going to be difficult.

"The way the fixtures are set out means there is a gap of a couple of weeks before each one anyway. It does become frustrating at times but we just have to get on with it. I just feel for the lads because they are itching to play and they can't."

Injuries - and the threat of injuries - are again being monitored by the City camp.

Player-coach and striker Lee Nogan will undergo a late fitness check on his twisted ankle on Friday, although left winger Bryan Stewart is expected to make a full recovery from a knee injury picked up at Farnborough to take the field against Canvey Island on Saturday.

Updated: 10:39 Wednesday, October 13, 2004