GOOD to see Alex Mathie finally finding his feet at Bootham Crescent.

The flying Scotsman indicated his class on his goalscoring home debut against Mansfield at the start of October.

But a hamstring strain limited his appearances thereafter and prevented the ex-Ipswich goal ace from fully displaying his talents.

However, in the last three games the 31-year-old - who turns 32 on Wednesday - has made up for last time with eye-catching performances capped by his goal of the season contender against Reading last Saturday.

"It is nice to see Alex looking sharper now," admitted City manager Terry Dolan this week.

"I think the rest that he had has done him good.

"In some respects he played too many games too quickly when he came here.

"He had not played that much first team football and it caught up with him.

"He had a hamstring strain and we thought the best way was to give him an enforced rest and it has down the trick."

Indeed, Dolan admits his three main-men - Mathie, top-scorer David McNiven and on-loan Chris Iwelumo - are now showing signs of forging a useful combination.

"We have chopped and changed quite a lot this season but in the last three games the three in possession of the shirts have done themselves justice.

"Chris Iwelumo has done a lot better and David continues to put the ball in the back of the net which is a good habit to have.

"Alex is an experienced player who knows what he is doing and it is nice to see the three of them gelling together.

"We do look as if we are going to score goals now which is refreshing when you think about the problems we had earlier in the season."

HAVING studied the match video of last Saturday's rousing 2-2 draw with Reading, City manager Terry Dolan remains irked by the controversial dismissal of Kevin Hulme.

The City midfielder was sent-off just minutes from time after picking up a second yellow card.

Speaking after the match, an aggrieved Dolan said he had few arguments over Hulme's first yellow for a foul on Ricky Newman.

But the City chief confessed he thought Hulme's second, for a foul on Adi Viveash, was "harsh" and he remained "very, very disappointed" by the decision.

Having now seen the video, Dolan this week said he saw no reason to change his initial reaction.

"The video, as far as I am concerned, just highlights what I thought at the time; that Kevin has gone to block the ball and the Reading centre-back has just kicked through it and ended in a heap on the floor," said Dolan.

"I didn't see it as a bookable offence but you can't appeal against it and he must serve a one-match suspension.

"I suppose you could say it was Kevin's own fault in the first place for getting his first booking for a needless foul.

"But I don't think the second one was a bookable offence."

SING up City. What a great atmosphere produced by the City faithful in last Saturday's second-half.

The attendance of 2,926, was disappointing but the noise certainly played its part in the City fightback as a nervous Reading reeled.

It cranked up the passion and spilled it on to the pitch.

The fact the noise was so noticeable, however, merely highlights just how quiet Bootham Crescent has been recently.

Whose fault that is remains the million dollar question.

Is it the fans' chorus of approval that raises the team or the players' performance that translates itself into noise on the terraces?

The answer no doubt lies somewhere in between but more of same, starting with Friday's visit of Blackpool to Bootham Crescent, would, quite literally, provide some much-needed Christmas cheer.

ON the subject of attendances, a statistic for anorak's corner.

City's average home attendance for the season, prior to last Saturday, was 2,918 - exactly the same as Carlisle United's average home gate.

Barnet currently endure the lowest gates, on average just 1,920 click through the turnstiles at Underhill, followed by Macclesfield (1,999) and then Halifax (2,051).

Hartlepool, Mansfield, Shrewsbury and Torquay all play before lower crowds than City and Carlisle.

Not surprisingly, Cardiff City boast the biggest home following with an average attendance of 6,568, followed by Brighton (6,484), Hull (5,448) and then Chesterfield (5,244)

dave.stanford@ycp.co.uk