YORK City defender Michael Duckworth is hopeful his injury problems are behind him after being given a full 90 minutes against Hebburn Town on Saturday.

The right-back has missed back-to-back games for City after pulling up before the Spennymoor Town game with a groin injury, which first caused him to miss minutes this year in pre-season at Notts County.

He was due to return for City on September 11 against Hereford, whose positive Covid tests eventually saw the game postponed.

This gave former York scholar Duckworth an extra week to prepare for a return to action, which he made at left-back in a 3-0 win over Step 4 outfit Hebburn at the weekend.

“It wasn’t a major injury, just a niggly groin injury, so I missed the Spennymoor game as a precaution really, just to get myself right,” Duckworth said.

“I wasn’t at my best (against Hebburn) but I can’t be disappointed by getting through.

“I had a good pre-season, played a lot of games, then towards the end I just started to pick up little niggles but hopefully that’s behind me now.

“It was a hot day (on Saturday) and I started fatiguing towards the end but that’s only normal when you’ve missed a few weeks.

“(Hereford) was going to be my first game last week but then it gave me another week’s training, which also benefited me to be back for (Hebburn).

“It all sort of worked in my favour, though I was disappointed it got called off.”

On maintaining momentum after the postponement, he added: “We’ve performed well in the last few games so the main objective is to keep that going, keep winning as many games as possible, and hopefully it takes us to where we want to be.”

Perhaps the one surprise to onlookers was that Duckworth made his return on the left of a four-man defence.

But with regular City left-back Scott Barrow still expected to be about a month away from fitness, loanee left-back Jaden Charles having returned to parent club Mansfield Town, and attacking midfielder Olly Dyson performing admirably at right-back, it made sense that the experienced Duckworth was brought in on the other side for what was potentially a banana-skin game.

Thanks to a double from Clayton Donaldson and Michael Woods’ opener, York were fairly comfortable winners against Hebburn, if not consummate. City were dominant throughout but ran hot and cold during the game, too rash in the final third and giving away possession on too many occasions.

The most important thing, though, is that City made it unscathed to the third round qualifying, when they will meet Whitby Town at the LNER Community Stadium.

“I’ve played there at previous clubs so it’s nothing new to me,” Duckworth said of going in at left-back.

“But if I’m playing, I’ll play anywhere, it doesn’t matter to me. As long as I’m playing games and getting through 90 minutes, that’s the main thing.

“We weren’t at our best today but you can’t be disappointed with 3-0 and a clean sheet.

“(The manager) said we weren’t at our best, we made too many sloppy mistakes and gave the ball away too easily.

“I’ve been involved in a few (upsets).

“These are always sticky games. You come in massive favourites but the underdogs have nothing to lose.

“It was a good, solid performance - job done, really.”

Manager Steve Watson has said the goal for teams at this level should be targeting reaching the first round proper of the Cup, when League teams enter the competition.

Duckworth - who played in a 2-1 second round defeat at Coventry City for Hartlepool United in December 2013 - would be keen on a good draw too, though he is making sure to take it one step at a time.

“The most important game is always the next one and hopefully in a few more rounds, let’s see if we can get someone good,” he said.

“Home draws are always better at this stage of the FA Cup. It’s always nice to play here as well, it’s a nice ground and a nice surface.”