JAKE Hyde is determined to keep his staring place at York City after being frustrated and annoyed by the start to his Bootham Crescent career.

The 24-year-old forward earned a recall to the first XI for Saturday's 3-2 home defeat to Southend, having been named as a substitute during the four previous matches.

Hyde is still to complete a full 90 minutes following his arrival on a three-year deal from Barnet in the summer, but is now focussed on putting the disappointment of recent weeks firmly behind him.

"It's been very frustrating and annoying," Hyde confessed about his spell out of the side. "You wouldn't be a very good professional if you were happy sat on the bench, but you just have to bide your time, bite your lip and wait for your chance.

"That's down to me. I've got to take my opportunity now and, fingers crossed, I can keep improving.

"Nobody wants to be on that bench but it's the manager's decision and you have to take it in your stride. You know, at some point, that you might be taken out of the team and, then, it's all about team spirit.

"That's football. It's a team game.

"I feel I've been working hard and harder during the last couple of weeks to get back in the team. Now, I will work even harder to stay in it, because that's what you have to do and I have no problem with knuckling down."

Hyde added, meanwhile, that he feels he has now taken on board what is expected from him in a Nigel Worthington team.

The City boss asked for greater industry from the former Dundee and Dunfermline forward earlier in the campaign and Hyde admitted: "Sometimes, at a new club, you do have to get used to the way a team plays and that's what I have been trying to do.

"I've been trying to work harder and do different things that, maybe, I haven't done before. I am glad the gaffer put me in on Saturday.

"Maybe, in training, he's seen me do more of what he wanted to see and, hopefully, I can continue to do that."

The Southend match also saw Hyde kick off a fixture alongside Wes Fletcher for the first time in City colours.

Both players managed double figures in front of goal last term despite stints on the sidelines due to injury and Hyde is now hoping they will be given the opportunity to forge a good understanding in forthcoming fixtures.

"I'm looking forward to playing more games with him hopefully," Hyde said. "Playing alongside anybody, you have to learn how each other plays to get a partnership together and that can only benefit the team in the long run.

"Wes is a big, strong player who is very effective and can create something out of nothing. He causes defences problem and it can only benefit me playing alongside him."

Despite his stuttering start to life in North Yorkshire, Hyde added an assist at the weekend to the two goals he scored last month.

He teed up Russell Penn as the Minstermen drew level at 1-1 with Southend and is happy to be a provider, as well as a finisher, explaining: "If I'm scoring or creating goals, I'm doing my part for the team.

"That's what I'm on the pitch to do. If you keep the ball in the penalty box, it can always end up in the back of the net and the first goal was the proof in the pudding.

"I hooked it back in and, luckily enough, Penno was in there. We work on that in training and it's good to see it come off on a match day.

"I'd obviously liked to have scored on Saturday but it's results that count and we've now got to improve on little things before the next game."

Whilst upset with the manner of defeat against the Shrimpers, Hyde insisted, nevertheless, that there was some cause for encouragement following the display.

He said: "We were very disappointed to concede three goals at home. It was unlike us and I didn't feel there was too much in the game for them to come away with a win, but there were a lot of positives to come out of the match.

"We just need to tidy up in certain areas and stop making little mistakes."

City travel to Dagenham & Redbridge now on Saturday with Hyde having suffered 4-1 and 1-0 defeats on his only previous trips to the modest Victoria Road venue.

He did, at least, find the net on his first visit and Hyde sees no reason why the Minstermen should not be optimistic ahead of their Essex journey, following their victory at Stevenage earlier this month, saying: "It's not an easy place to go and nowhere is in this division.

"Dagenham is known to be a bit of a sticky situation, but you can't let that faze you. We won at Stevenage, which is another hard place, so we know we are more than capable of doing it again.

"We just need to focus on having a good week's training and preparing right to get the three points because we know we need them."