YORK City boss Billy McEwan hailed the return to goalscoring form of midfielder Darren Dunning during Saturday's 1-1 draw at Canvey Island.

Dunning, who netted eight times in his first two seasons as a Minsterman, has waited until the eighth month of the current campaign to get off the mark.

The former Blackburn Rovers midfielder finished clinically from eight yards following good work down the right by Andy Bishop and Jamie Price.

His strike was his first goal since a penalty in last season's 3-1 FA Cup defeat at Carlisle and his first in open play since he bagged a brace in the 3-0 victory at Dagenham a month earlier in September 2004, ending a 73-game wait.

Unfortunately Dunning's goal did not prove the match winner after a Chris Porter mistake saw Lee Boylan level the scores on 76 minutes.

But McEwan was pleased to see Dunning back among the goals. He said: "We scored a lovely goal. The build-up was superb from Jamie Price and Andy Bishop and it was a great finish by Darren.

"It's important my midfielders get goals and he was in the box to do that. We need goals from all over because we can't always rely on our two strikers.

"Last week it was James Dudgeon and this week it was Darren. At least if our strikers aren't scoring we have other players who can chip in."

McEwan also praised Dudgeon and midfielder Neal Bishop who for played despite illness.

Dudgeon was sick at the final whistle and Bishop soldiered on after missing a week of training.

Price returned to action as a second-half substitute after a three-and-a-half month injury lay-off with a hernia problem and McEwan was pleased with his contribution, saying: "Stephen Thomas has done well for us at right-back even though he is normally a midfielder but Jamie's an experienced player and, just before he came on, their striker had an opportunity down our right side that he should have scored from. I wanted to bring him in to introduce him back gradually to the situation and I'm glad to have him back."

The City manager added that missing out on a chance of equalling the club's seven straight wins record was of little significance.

He admitted that City's dressing room was deflated after the final whistle and, despite being disappointed himself by a "sloppy" first half, added that he was pleased by the players' reactions.

He said: "It was like we had lost the game and the players are really down because they feel we dropped points. We are not happy because we wanted to win the game as we always do. I'm glad they feel like that because it shows they care."

Updated: 09:40 Monday, March 20, 2006