Robbie Blake is understandably delighted with the impact he has made since returning to the Brad-ford City first team and has just one aim - to stay in the side.

The 22-year-old missed the first three games due to the suspension which followed his dismissal in the final game of last season at home to Portsmouth.

City's considerable outlay in the transfer market also meant Blake found himself in the reserves once his ban was over.

However, lively performances against Lincoln and Newcastle's second strings, coupled with the injury to Isaiah Rankin, led to Blake being given his chance.

And he did not disappoint. A goal and a man of the match display in the 2-2 draw with Sheffield United was followed by another impressive performance in the 2-0 win at West Brom, despite playing on the left side of midfield.

On Tuesday night he helped drag City back from the brink of a possible Worthington Cup exit against Halifax with a superbly-taken goal. Understandably, Blake is a happy man.

He said: "It took me a while to get back in the side, but hopefully I have done myself justice and can stay in while scoring more goals. We have a big squad now and you know you must play well to stay in the side - this keeps every player on their toes.

"I don't mind where I play really as long as I am in a winning side and playing well. If I have to play wide left, then I will because the main thing is to play. People ask me if I am happy, and yes I am. They are a great bunch of lads here."

Within the space of six days, City splashed out £2.3 million on bringing a new strike partnership of Rankin and Lee Mills to Valley Parade.

That brought the number of strikers at the club to eight and, like everyone else at the club, Blake knew it would be hard to get back in the side.

However, the talented former Darlington man remained confident that if he was given a chance he would take it.

He said: "It was hard and frustrating seeing new players arrive and knowing I would miss the first three games with suspension.

"But the good thing is we have a lot more competition in the squad. I knew when the players were signed that it would take a while to get in the side.

"The gaffer said it would probably be a few weeks before I would get back in, and that is what happened.

"I came in against Sheffield Uni-ted, scored and am now in the side. The gaffer tells me what he wants. If I am on the halfway line then I must keep hold of the ball, but if I am in the box he doesn't mind what I try as long as it has a chance of coming off. Luckily against Halifax and Sheffield it did come off.

"The gaffer was really good when I was out of the team. He takes you aside one by one and tells you what you need to do to get into the side.

"He keeps you involved, which is a great thing for us all. We have brought some good players in. We needed a couple of wins and hopefully it is all coming together now.

"We are on a roll so it is up to us to keep it going.

"We have three home games coming up in the next few weeks and we know we need to get the nine points. That will shove us up the table."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.