YORK City striker Jake Hyde is hoping to have the same impact on his comeback from injury as in-form team-mate Michael Coulson has done.

Tuesday night's spectacular free kick against Barnsley represented Coulson's fifth goal in nine matches since returning to action last month following a pre-season groin surgery.

Hyde, meanwhile, has been used as a second-half substitute during new manager Jackie McNamara's first two games in charge having been out since mid-August with a problem that required a double hernia operation.

On his ambition to now emulate Coulson, the former Barnet striker said: "Couls has done fantastically well since coming back in. We’ve been talking this week about when we were recovering in the gym together a couple of months ago and he admitted, if somebody had offered him five goals by November back then, he would have snatched their hand off.

"I’m still trying to work hard and do my extra little bits because I know my body won’t be perfect straight away and it's never easy when you miss pre-season. It takes time, but Couls has shown what’s possible and I want to do the same.

"Every extra minute on the pitch will help me get sharper and match fit and then everything will fall into place."

Hyde has 55 professional goals to his name but has not found the net during a eight-month,14-match spell that represents his longest barren run since April 2010.

He reasoned that fitness problems have played their part in that statistic but believes successful surgery will mean he can soon become a regular on the scoresheet.

"I’ve been struggling with the same thing for eight or nine months and every little niggle I’ve had has been down to it but the operation has sorted that now thank goodness and, hopefully, I can push on from here," the Maidenhead-born, 25-year-old explained. "I've scored goals all my career and there's no better feeling in football so, when you have time out from that, you miss it.

"Fingers crossed, I can get firing again, sooner rather than later."

Hyde topped the Minstermen's goal charts with ten goals last term while summer signing Vadaine Oliver is the current top marksman on six.

The ex-England C striker reckons the pair can now flourish together under new manager Jackie McNamara, adding: "Vadaine has come in and done well.

"The old manager brought him in and his plan was to look at getting us both in the team. Now, the new manager has got options, which is good for the team because that pushes you on as player.

"The intensity of training has lifted and the feeling is the manager definitely wants to go forward, create chances and score goals and that will definitely suit me to the ground. There were times last season when we could have pushed on and got more goals.

"The emphasis was a bit more on being hard to beat but now I think we’ll be seeing how many goals we can get, rather than sitting back on a 1-0 or 2-0 lead. That’s a fantastic way to play football and, hopefully, it will help us get the results we need to climb up the table."

Despite a run of four straight defeats ahead of this afternoon's home match with table-topping Plymouth, Hyde also insisted City should not be intimidated by their opponents.

Honours ended even in last season's two contests against the Pilgrims with Hyde netting a late equaliser during a 1-1 draw in Devon and he said: "We know they’re a good side but we did well against them last season. They’ve got a similar side now but seem to have found that little X-factor and are top of the league.

"We know their dangerous players and I’m sure we will try and combat that but it’s our home turf and we don’t want anyone coming here and taking the points because we want to win every match.

"We must take the game to them. That doesn’t change if we’re playing the team top of the league or the one at the bottom."