RYAN Jarvis has welcomed the extra competition Michael Coulson has provided for centre-forward places at York City.

Former Grimsby winger Coulson has partnered Ryan Bowman in attack for the Minstermen during the last two matches and responded with an excellent goal during Saturday’s 2-1 home win against Exeter.

Jarvis, meanwhile, has been given 20-minute outings as a substitute in both games, having been sidelined for close to a month with an ankle injury.

The former Torquay forward has netted nine times this season and, with 13-goal top scorer Wes Fletcher also due to return shortly having been ruled out for the last fortnight with a groin strain, Jarvis believes manager Nigel Worthington now has a strong attacking armoury at his disposal.

On Coulson’s move inside from the flanks, Jarvis said: “He’s been brilliant and has done well in every game he’s played this season. I like Coulo and I’m a big fan of his.

“He was great on Saturday and got a great goal. I was buzzing for him after that and it’s great to have competition.

“I would rather have that situation because it keeps you on your toes in terms of getting back into the team and, then, staying in it. It’s better for the club that way.”

Jarvis has admitted that he is still getting back up to match speed following a frustrating start personally to 2014 and, having endured his fair share of injury-hampered campaigns in the past, he is planning on steering clear of further problems for the last dozen fixtures this term.

He added: “It was good to get more minutes on Saturday. I was blowing a bit when I was up there on my own but I am slowly getting my fitness back.

“I had knee, hamstring and ankle injuries one after the other. The ankle was the worst, though, because I wasn’t able to run, so I couldn’t do anything for three weeks other than biking, which was frustrating.

“It’s hard to regain your fitness but I will get there and I will keep working on it through this week to get back up and running soon.

“I feel I could start at the weekend if the gaffer wanted me to, but we had a great win on Saturday and the strikers did well and deserve to keep their places. “I just want to get back on the field, not back in the treatment room and see the season out with a good bit of form and one or two more goals.”

After bagging three points against Exeter where all three goals were scored from set-pieces, Jarvis feels this weekend’s trip to AFC Wimbledon is unlikely to be expansive.

“It was quite an even game with chances at both ends and either team could have won,” the 27-year-old forward confessed. “When you look back, though, we did well to grind out the victory.

“It wasn’t a pretty game but those wins are vital. Not every game in League Two will be pretty so Saturday’s was a great win.

“I don’t think it will be any prettier at Wimbledon, so we’ve just got to roll our sleeves up, work hard and fight for the right to have the ball. Then, when we get it, hopefully do something with it.

“You just have to scrap in every game and it will be no different this weekend.”

Despite having cut his teeth at Norwich in the Championship and Premier League under Worthington, Jarvis insisted he savours the rough and tumble of football in the English professional game’s bottom echelon.

“There was a lot of football played when I was at Norwich but it’s totally different at this level,” he explained.

“You just have to win a few scraps and take a few bumps to the head, but it’s all good fun and enjoyable.”

Jarvis, meanwhile, shares a growing belief in the Bootham Crescent camp that the club can improve on their current position of tenth in the Sky Bet League Two standings, reasoning: “We definitely have the players to finish higher in the table.

“It’s just about keeping everybody fit, grinding out the results if we have to and digging in during scrappy games.”