York City midfielder Alex Lawless hopes he will recover quickly after pulling up with a hamstring injury during the 1-0 home defeat by Eastbourne.

"I was just sprinting through and it just felt like somebody shot me in the hamstring," he told BBC Radio York.

"I was absolutely gutted. I know things can recover pretty quickly so I'm hoping that will be the case."

Manager Martin Foyle added: "He's been one of the star performers, the one who can open and create. It's a big blow."

The 26-year-old, in his first full season at Bootham Crescent, has been a crucial player in York's rise to third in Blue Square Premier.

"It was nice to get a decent little reception (from fans) as I came off because I felt so down, it was a nice little pick-me-up to help," he said.

He hopes that his instant substitution will have saved the injury from being worse, and may aid a quicker return.

He said: "I've had a few little niggling injuries before, but nothing like this, it's new to me. I pulled up pretty quickly."

Lawless is likely to miss the trip to his former club Forest Green on 6 March.

Source: BBC Sport