YORK City have been given a boost in the run-up to their promotion tilt with news that star goalkeeper Michael Ingham is to stay at Bootham Crescent for a third month, writes Tony Curtis.

Ingham, 22, has been sensational since his arrival from Sunderland as a temporary replacement for the then Hull-bound Alan Fettis.

His second month on-loan had been due to expire tomorrow, but Saturday's man-of-the-match against Wrexham will now remain for City's crucial end-of-season run in.

And Ingham, pictured right, has a special reason why he wants to keep churning out the clean sheets - he owes City boss Terry Dolan a debt of thanks in taking him on from the Stadium of Light.

Ingham, who like his fellow Black Cat loanee Michael Proctor hasn't given up hope of playing in the Premiership with Sunderland, told the Evening Press: "I've just signed another month and will probably end up here at the end of the season, but I'm happy to do that.

"It took me two years to get someone, a manager, to take a gamble on me and Terry has actually taken that chance and hopefully I'm repaying him with good performances and clean sheets.

"I'm just down here for experience and try to keep putting in the performances to impress the manager back in Sunderland and see how things go next season, but I'm happy with the way things are going.

"Mick (McCarthy, the new Sunderland boss) has got more important things at the moment in trying to sort the first team out, but he has come in and shook my hand and seems a nice fella. My chance will come so I will get a chat with him soon."

Unfortunately the news of Ingham staying for a third month was spoiled by Andy Morrell's late equaliser for Wrexham.

Ingham, who pulled off some sensational saves as City were forced on to the back foot, felt the goal had been on the cards.

He said: "It was coming for a while. We couldn't, and can't, keep playing like that.

"We are working hard and grinding out results but we need to start putting teams away when we are 1-0 up, we need to be pushing for the second goal instead of sitting in.

"We had two chances at the end when Shandy (Anthony Shandran) put one over the bar and Cooper has been unlucky, but apart from that we haven't strung three passes together.

"Understandably I'm disappointed we haven't got three points, but at the same time I'm pleased we got one because we certainly could have been beaten easily."

Updated: 10:52 Monday, March 24, 2003