A home game against Oxford provided a useful barometer by which to measure City's progress so far this season; not only because the U's were nine points clear at the top of the table going into the match, but also because provided a neat point of contrast to the season's curtain-raiser, in which Oxford snatched a 2-1 win thanks to two late strikes. That a point in yesterday's match was met with at least as much disappointment as August's defeat, indicates how expectations have been raised in the intervening period.
Protecting an unbeaten home record, City led through Michael Rankine's 71st-minute effort, but were pegged back 10 minutes later when Oxford found the net with the only clear chance they created all match, and it was undoubtedly the away side which went away happier with the point. In fact, the Minstermen's unbeaten record at Bootham Crescent was subjected to far sterner tests in their recent encounters with Stevenage and Cambridge, when it was the home side who required a late equaliser.
Belying the 13-point gap between the clubs, it was City who controlled the play from the outset, with the return of Alex Lawless to central midfield increasing their ability to retain the ball, and strikers Michael Rankine and Richard Brodie causing problems for the centre-back pairing of Michael Creighton and Luke Foster. Ten minutes in, Rankine met Andy Ferrell's corner with a firm header, but Oxford keeper Ryan Clarke was equal to the effort. Then, after some neat footwork by Adam Smith, Rankine put in a dangerous cross from the right, but neither Ferrell or Brodie could make an effective connection.
After York having missed the link-up play of Michael Gash up front since his recent injury, for this match Brodie and Rankine seemed the ideal strikeforce to worry the similarly physical pairing of Creighton and Foster, with Rankine in particular impressing. The powerful forward found himself in the thick of the action again on 23 minutes, when he created an opening for Brodie, but his shot was blocked by the outstretched leg of an Oxford defender. Three minutes later it was Neil Barrett's turn to see his effort blocked, but this time by his own team-mate, as Djoumin Sangare found himself in the firing line when Barrett met an inswinging Ferrell free-kick with a powerful goalbound volley.
Oxford began to impose themselves more on the tie as the half wore on, but failed to create any meaningful openings, and the match descended into something of a stalemate for the fifteen minutes leading up to half-time, meaning that the score at the break was 0-0. The second half began much like the first, though, with the home side pushing forward in numbers and fashioning several chances. On 50 minutes, a deep cross was sent in from the right by Ben Purkiss, and Rankine headed across goal into the path of Brodie, but the frontman failed to show the instinct which has seen him reach a scoring tally of double figures already, and the ball passed him by. Then, on the hour mark, another deep cross, this time sent in by Ferrell from the left, evaded the grasp of U's keeper Clarke under the attention of Adam Smith, and the ball dropped perfectly for Rankine to attempt an audacious bicycle kick. Sadly, the execution was far from perfect, and the acrobatic attempt sailed high over the crossbar.
Rankine would get his reward, though, soon after, when a low ball sent in by Ferrell found its way through the Oxford back line and into the path of the big striker just outside the six-yard box. This time, Rankine made no mistake, slotting home confidently to notch just his second goal of the season and give City a deserved 1-0 lead. One unfortunate blot on City's copy-book this season, though, has been a tendency to sit deep and defend slender leads rather than attack and try to close games out, and this again occurred as they set their stall to hold on to the one-goal lead for the remaining twenty minutes.
It was this switch to a more defensive set-up which allowed Oxford, previously held at bay all match by City, to gain ground and create their first opportunity of the match with less than ten minutes remaining. An Oxford throw-in found its way to Damian Batt, the pacy right-back who had been one of the only U's players to unsettle the home team, and his speculative cross should have been dealt with by the Minstermen's defence, but instead found its way to Simon Clist. Then, showing the ruthlessness which is undoubtedly one of the qualities which has propelled Oxford to the top of the league, Clist calmly sent the ball past Michael Ingham to grab the equaliser.
Things went from bad to worse for York when, in the following minute, James Meredith was dismissed for a second bookable offence, but to their credit it was York who looked the most likely to get a late winner. Lawless jinked past several defenders to create an opening on the edge of the area, but his effort bounced wide of the far post, and despite the late introduction of Adam Boyes - re-signed on loan from Scunthorpe - this was as close as City game to a second goal. Both teams had to settle for a point, then, and for York another test lies ahead on Tuesday in the form of a trip to Luton. City will make the trip without the suspended Meredith, and in all likelihood Brodie (unless his booking yesterday is rescinded for mistaken identity), so while a victory would close the gap between City and the top five to just a point, boss Martin Foyle would surely regard a draw as a satisfactory result. After coming away from a match against the runaway leaders feeling unlucky to have drawn, however, the Minstermen should have nothing to fear from any side in this division.
Sunday, 18 October 2009
Sunday, 13 September 2009
City 2 Kettering 0
The notion that no judgements can be made about a season until ten games in may well be a cliche, and perhaps an easy way of buying time for managers who have assembled a squad ill-equipped for the demands of their league, but York City's first ten games have certainly shown that snap judgements about a team's prospects can easily be disproven at such an early stage. A Richard Brodie brace helped City to a 2-0 win over high-flying Kettering, the club's fourth win in five games and probably the most impressive of the campaign so far, and the Minstermen now look a side transformed from that which put in pedestrian, plodding performances at the likes of Wrexham and Hayes.
It is a measure of how confidence has rocketed in the club's ranks since the smash-and-grab win at Gateshead that City set out immediately to push forward and attack a Kettering side placed 2nd in the league heading into Saturday's encounter. This attacking intent almost paid dividends just seconds after kick-off, as Brodie blocked a clearance from Kettering centre-back Ian Roper, then collected the ball in the area and shot from a narrow angle on the left. His shot was kept out, though, by Poppies keeper Lee Harper, and Michael Gash was not quite sharp enough to get to the rebound. It would not be the last time Brodie tormented the rather rotund Roper.
A string of further chances were created by City in the first ten minutes, with Andy Ferrell playing a key role in all of them. Firstly, his lofted free-kick found its way to Gash at the far post, but the frontman failed to connect properly and headed wide. Then, after seeing his own shot from the edge of the box fly wide of the post, Ferrell sent in an inswinging corner which was met by the head of Djoumin Sangare. The defender's leap was impressive, and his header firm, but unfortunately it was directed over the bar. Nevertheless, Ferrell was already demonstrating once more that he has quickly become central to this City side in every sense other than his actual position on the field of play.
Another figure who has been crucial to the effectiveness of York's midfield in recent weeks is Alex Lawless, and on 13 minutes he carved out an opening for himself, advancing from midfield as the Kettering defenders backed off, and unleashing a low drive from 25 yards which bobbled wide. The balance of play started to shift after the opening 20 minutes, though, as Kettering began to stifle City's attacks. In particular, the enormous Exodus Geoghahan looked commanding at centre-back, dominating aerial battles with the City strikeforce and also providing the visitors' main attacking threat in the form of his incredibly long throws. The similarly biblically-named Moses Ashikodi also troubled the City back line on occasion with his pace, but Kettering failed to fashion any real opportunities on goal.
The next flashpoint came just after the half-hour mark, when Brodie - rushing to meet a chip into the box from Ferrell - showed that he has not entirely abandoned certain old habits by leading with his elbow while jumping with a defender. The challenge certainly merited a free-kick, and probably a booking, but did not demand the reaction from Roper, who raised his arms and pushed Brodie to the ground. While the crowd howled for a dismissal, the case against Roper was probably not aided by Brodie's ludicrous, exaggerated tumble, and the referee chose only to book both players. The two teams continued to cancel each other out from then on until the interval, with the only effort of note a Kettering free-kick which was blasted over.
A minute after the restart, Kettering created their best scoring opportunity so far, as Francis Green edged into the box from the left wing. However, Green, whose second-half switch from right flank to left probably resulted from his being nullified by Ferrell in the first period, watched his dipping strike whistle narrowly past Michael Ingham's post. City then pressed forward, and ten minutes into the half Gash's cross from the left was missed by Brodie but met by Ferrell, whose drive was deflected behind for a corner which Ferrell himself took. The ball was sent high towards the onrushing Sangare, who leapt high and headed goalwards, and Brodie was on hand to flick it past Harper and give City the lead. To outdo a side as physical and direct as Kettering as set pieces, as City did virtually all game, is no mean feat, and much of the credit for this must go to Sangare - his dominance in the air has provided a valuable outlet, and his assured, committed displays in the heart of City's defence are winning him many admirers.
Encouragingly, the Minstermen refused to rest on their laurels after going a goal up, and Adam Smith carved an opening on the hour mark after being released by Neil Barrett, but his shot was deflected over the bar. At the other end of the field, one of Geoghahan's long throws beat the City defence for the first and only time all match, as the outrushing Ingham misjudged the flight of the ball and allowed it to sail past him. Green, waiting on the edge of the six-yard box, managed to beat a crowd of City players to the ball, but could only spoon his attempt high.
Then, with twenty minutes remaining, City doubled their lead with an almost exact replica of the first goal. Again, Ferrell sent in a high corner from the right, and again it was met by the head of a York defender. This time, though, it was Daniel Parslow rather than Sangare who was first to the ball, but the near-symmetry was completed as Brodie nodded home from just two yards out. The striker's two goals were welcome not merely because they took his tally to seven for the season, but because they were rare poached strikes from a player who looks to be continuing to hone his craft. Soon after, a left-footed strike from the increasingly impressive Smith was inches away from giving City a third goal, but the winger's effort flew just past the left-hand angle of post and bar. Kettering came close to a consolation goal when substitute Danny Thomas's header clipped the crossbar, but City held on to grab three points which propelled them into the playoff positions.
Whether the side will become a permanent fixture in the upper echelons of the table remains to be seen, but the signs from the last three home games in particular are encouraging. City are controlling matches in midfield, and looking as threatening going forward as Billy McEwan's team - containing the likes of Donaldson and Woolford - did three seasons ago. In fact, the achilles heel of McEwan's playoff side was perhaps an inability to close out tough games at home, as they were best suited to a containing, counter-attacking style and so their best performances came away from home. It is probably no exaggeration to say that the current team, then, is providing home fans at Bootham Crescent with some of the most satisfying performances since the club dropped out of the football league. With three more tough home fixtures in succession to come, long may it continue.
It is a measure of how confidence has rocketed in the club's ranks since the smash-and-grab win at Gateshead that City set out immediately to push forward and attack a Kettering side placed 2nd in the league heading into Saturday's encounter. This attacking intent almost paid dividends just seconds after kick-off, as Brodie blocked a clearance from Kettering centre-back Ian Roper, then collected the ball in the area and shot from a narrow angle on the left. His shot was kept out, though, by Poppies keeper Lee Harper, and Michael Gash was not quite sharp enough to get to the rebound. It would not be the last time Brodie tormented the rather rotund Roper.
A string of further chances were created by City in the first ten minutes, with Andy Ferrell playing a key role in all of them. Firstly, his lofted free-kick found its way to Gash at the far post, but the frontman failed to connect properly and headed wide. Then, after seeing his own shot from the edge of the box fly wide of the post, Ferrell sent in an inswinging corner which was met by the head of Djoumin Sangare. The defender's leap was impressive, and his header firm, but unfortunately it was directed over the bar. Nevertheless, Ferrell was already demonstrating once more that he has quickly become central to this City side in every sense other than his actual position on the field of play.
Another figure who has been crucial to the effectiveness of York's midfield in recent weeks is Alex Lawless, and on 13 minutes he carved out an opening for himself, advancing from midfield as the Kettering defenders backed off, and unleashing a low drive from 25 yards which bobbled wide. The balance of play started to shift after the opening 20 minutes, though, as Kettering began to stifle City's attacks. In particular, the enormous Exodus Geoghahan looked commanding at centre-back, dominating aerial battles with the City strikeforce and also providing the visitors' main attacking threat in the form of his incredibly long throws. The similarly biblically-named Moses Ashikodi also troubled the City back line on occasion with his pace, but Kettering failed to fashion any real opportunities on goal.
The next flashpoint came just after the half-hour mark, when Brodie - rushing to meet a chip into the box from Ferrell - showed that he has not entirely abandoned certain old habits by leading with his elbow while jumping with a defender. The challenge certainly merited a free-kick, and probably a booking, but did not demand the reaction from Roper, who raised his arms and pushed Brodie to the ground. While the crowd howled for a dismissal, the case against Roper was probably not aided by Brodie's ludicrous, exaggerated tumble, and the referee chose only to book both players. The two teams continued to cancel each other out from then on until the interval, with the only effort of note a Kettering free-kick which was blasted over.
A minute after the restart, Kettering created their best scoring opportunity so far, as Francis Green edged into the box from the left wing. However, Green, whose second-half switch from right flank to left probably resulted from his being nullified by Ferrell in the first period, watched his dipping strike whistle narrowly past Michael Ingham's post. City then pressed forward, and ten minutes into the half Gash's cross from the left was missed by Brodie but met by Ferrell, whose drive was deflected behind for a corner which Ferrell himself took. The ball was sent high towards the onrushing Sangare, who leapt high and headed goalwards, and Brodie was on hand to flick it past Harper and give City the lead. To outdo a side as physical and direct as Kettering as set pieces, as City did virtually all game, is no mean feat, and much of the credit for this must go to Sangare - his dominance in the air has provided a valuable outlet, and his assured, committed displays in the heart of City's defence are winning him many admirers.
Encouragingly, the Minstermen refused to rest on their laurels after going a goal up, and Adam Smith carved an opening on the hour mark after being released by Neil Barrett, but his shot was deflected over the bar. At the other end of the field, one of Geoghahan's long throws beat the City defence for the first and only time all match, as the outrushing Ingham misjudged the flight of the ball and allowed it to sail past him. Green, waiting on the edge of the six-yard box, managed to beat a crowd of City players to the ball, but could only spoon his attempt high.
Then, with twenty minutes remaining, City doubled their lead with an almost exact replica of the first goal. Again, Ferrell sent in a high corner from the right, and again it was met by the head of a York defender. This time, though, it was Daniel Parslow rather than Sangare who was first to the ball, but the near-symmetry was completed as Brodie nodded home from just two yards out. The striker's two goals were welcome not merely because they took his tally to seven for the season, but because they were rare poached strikes from a player who looks to be continuing to hone his craft. Soon after, a left-footed strike from the increasingly impressive Smith was inches away from giving City a third goal, but the winger's effort flew just past the left-hand angle of post and bar. Kettering came close to a consolation goal when substitute Danny Thomas's header clipped the crossbar, but City held on to grab three points which propelled them into the playoff positions.
Whether the side will become a permanent fixture in the upper echelons of the table remains to be seen, but the signs from the last three home games in particular are encouraging. City are controlling matches in midfield, and looking as threatening going forward as Billy McEwan's team - containing the likes of Donaldson and Woolford - did three seasons ago. In fact, the achilles heel of McEwan's playoff side was perhaps an inability to close out tough games at home, as they were best suited to a containing, counter-attacking style and so their best performances came away from home. It is probably no exaggeration to say that the current team, then, is providing home fans at Bootham Crescent with some of the most satisfying performances since the club dropped out of the football league. With three more tough home fixtures in succession to come, long may it continue.
Wednesday, 26 August 2009
Gateshead 1 City 2
On a thoroughly entertaining evening in the North-East, ten-man City fought back to claim their first away win of the campaign at newly-promoted Gateshead. Michael Gash's first goal for the club added to Richard Brodie's earlier effort to overturn the 1-0 lead Gateshead held at half-time, and the Minstermen clung on to escape with all three points despite the dismissals of both Richard Pacquette and manager Martin Foyle early in the second half.
The Gateshead International Stadium made for a bizarre venue for non-league football; with its uncovered stands offering panoramic views of the bleak Tyneside landscape, and an athletics track separating the crowd from the pitch, the scene had an almost Eastern European feel. And while the atmosphere might not quite have matched that of a Belgrade derby, both sets of fans were determined to make an occasion of a rare local fixture.
Gateshead's supporters, although numbering less than 700, generated a creditable amount of noise throughout the match. City's travelling faithful, hampered somewhat in their attempts to respond by the open stand, played their part with a pre-kick-off streamer display instigated by the Jorvik Reds. As the tickertape and tissue was distributed among the travelling fans, the elderly gentleman seated near me seemed somewhat perplexed upon being handed a toilet roll, but, evidently deeming it impolite to refuse a gift, secreted the roll in his bag for later use. The effort put into the display, however, failed to inspire the City players to an equally impressive first-half performance.
City began brightly enough, with Foyle's unexpectedly adventurous choice of a triple-pronged strikeforce looking set to pay dividends. Richard Pacquette, playing on the right of the three and willingly running the flank, saw his early low drive stopped under the body of Gateshead keeper Jim Provett. The old fellow, seemingly still confused by the toilet roll incident, offered encouragement by shouting 'Go on Rankine!' whenever the ball came Pacquette's way. Then, after the home side's skipper Kris Gate had blasted over the bar from their first opening, York's front three combined in style, with Brodie's clever flick releasing Pacquette on the right wing, whose cross in turn found the head of Gash. City's £55,000 signing failed, however, to get much contact on the ball, and as the first half entered its final 15 minutes, Gateshead began to dominate.
Playing three up front meant that City's midfield was squeezed even narrower than usual, and Gateshead's wingers looked to exploit the open space on the flanks. Wayne Phillips on the left looked particularly dangerous, and after a series of marauding runs came to little, he eventually found himself on the ball in the penalty area, with time and space to direct his shot. His finishing let him down, though, as the ball was fired directly at Michael Ingham, and City had Ingham to thank again after he was tested twice more soon after. The City stopper reacted well to keep out a low shot by Steven Richardson after the striker's jinking run into the box, and then palmed a chipped Phillips shot around the post.
When the ball broke to Alex Francis just inside the York half in first-half stoppage time, however, Ingham was powerless to prevent the resulting goal. City's back line failed to close down the advancing Francis, and he took the opportunity to chance a powerful 25-yard drive, which nestled in the bottom right-hand corner and gave Gateshead the lead at half-time. It was a lead the Tynesiders deserved, as the commitment shown by their players was matched only by local boys Brodie and Ferrell from the City ranks, and their unity and purpose provided a stark contrast to the uncertainty displayed by the Minstermen.
The tables turned immediately in the second half, though, as City put the home side on the back foot from kick-off, and Provett was forced into a save just two minutes after the break from Richard Brodie's effort from outside the area. On 55 minutes, however, the Gateshead-born striker was not to be denied, as he broke free on the left, and skilfully rounded the last Gateshead defender before calmly slotting the ball past Provett for the equaliser. City's opponents had failed in a bid to lure Brodie home over the summer, but even if the frontman does little else all season, this display - one of his best in a City shirt recently - might at least cause Gateshead manager Ian Bogie to table another offer at the season's end.
City's jubilation at equalising lasted less than a minute, as a clash between Phillips and Pacquette caused the latter to lash out in retaliation, and he was shown a straight red card to reduce City to ten men, and seemingly dent any hopes of a win. A harsher critic might suggest that York had effectively been playing with ten men even before the decision due to an anonymous Neil Barrett, but I will simply remark that he had a poor game and pulled out of several challenges. Martin Foyle, usually reticent in the dugout, was so incensed by the dismissal that his remonstrations at the referee led to him being sent to the stands. Strangely, the sendings off seemed to galvanise City if anything, and from then on they looked the more likely team to score despite Gateshead enjoying most of the possession. On the hour mark, a counter-attack by the visitors resulted in a shooting opportunity for Gash, but the weak attempt he mustered betrayed a lack of confidence in front of goal, and drew groans from the City fans.
When Gash's next chance came, with just ten minutes left on the clock, his confidence seemed to return, and in an instant the jeers of the travelling supporters were replaced by cheers. Andy Ferrell, chasing a loose ball on the left flank, did well just to keep the ball in play, but managed to compose himself sufficiently to send in a pinpoint inswinging cross towards Gash. The former Ebbsfleet forward leapt to meet the ball, before sending a powerful header past Provett and sparking scenes of elation among York's fans, many of whom spilled onto the pitch to join the players' celebrations. And when Gash was substituted shortly afterwards, he received a standing ovation - while this was hardly merited, neither were the earlier catcalls directed at the player, who showed brief flashes of excellence but a worrying lack of fitness, at times looking as though he was running through treacle. Judgement on the wisdom of spending such a large sum on him over summer will have to be reserved for at least a short while longer.
City clung on to their one-goal advantage despite late pressure from Gateshead, thanks in no small part to an excellent performance in the centre of defence by Djoumin Sangare. The big Frenchman, brought on to replace Dave McGurk who sustained an early injury, looked powerful, not short of pace, and commanding in the air; in short, he looked like the kind of defender which City fans have been yearning for ever since the impressive loan spell of Janos Kovacs in the 2006/07 season. The win was as needed as it was fortunate; York's players need to gel quickly to avoid being left behind by the better sides of the division and being forced to write yet another season off at an early stage. As for Gateshead, they look to have a strong team ethic, and more than enough firepower to spring a few surprise results over the course of the campaign. Their strength going forward is balanced by a vulnerability at the back, however, and they seem likely to leak at least as many goals as they score. Having said that, on the evidence of last night's performance, I expect them to survive the drop - and unless City can build on their win and string together a run of results, that might be the only feat which they achieve, too.
The Gateshead International Stadium made for a bizarre venue for non-league football; with its uncovered stands offering panoramic views of the bleak Tyneside landscape, and an athletics track separating the crowd from the pitch, the scene had an almost Eastern European feel. And while the atmosphere might not quite have matched that of a Belgrade derby, both sets of fans were determined to make an occasion of a rare local fixture.
Gateshead's supporters, although numbering less than 700, generated a creditable amount of noise throughout the match. City's travelling faithful, hampered somewhat in their attempts to respond by the open stand, played their part with a pre-kick-off streamer display instigated by the Jorvik Reds. As the tickertape and tissue was distributed among the travelling fans, the elderly gentleman seated near me seemed somewhat perplexed upon being handed a toilet roll, but, evidently deeming it impolite to refuse a gift, secreted the roll in his bag for later use. The effort put into the display, however, failed to inspire the City players to an equally impressive first-half performance.
City began brightly enough, with Foyle's unexpectedly adventurous choice of a triple-pronged strikeforce looking set to pay dividends. Richard Pacquette, playing on the right of the three and willingly running the flank, saw his early low drive stopped under the body of Gateshead keeper Jim Provett. The old fellow, seemingly still confused by the toilet roll incident, offered encouragement by shouting 'Go on Rankine!' whenever the ball came Pacquette's way. Then, after the home side's skipper Kris Gate had blasted over the bar from their first opening, York's front three combined in style, with Brodie's clever flick releasing Pacquette on the right wing, whose cross in turn found the head of Gash. City's £55,000 signing failed, however, to get much contact on the ball, and as the first half entered its final 15 minutes, Gateshead began to dominate.
Playing three up front meant that City's midfield was squeezed even narrower than usual, and Gateshead's wingers looked to exploit the open space on the flanks. Wayne Phillips on the left looked particularly dangerous, and after a series of marauding runs came to little, he eventually found himself on the ball in the penalty area, with time and space to direct his shot. His finishing let him down, though, as the ball was fired directly at Michael Ingham, and City had Ingham to thank again after he was tested twice more soon after. The City stopper reacted well to keep out a low shot by Steven Richardson after the striker's jinking run into the box, and then palmed a chipped Phillips shot around the post.
When the ball broke to Alex Francis just inside the York half in first-half stoppage time, however, Ingham was powerless to prevent the resulting goal. City's back line failed to close down the advancing Francis, and he took the opportunity to chance a powerful 25-yard drive, which nestled in the bottom right-hand corner and gave Gateshead the lead at half-time. It was a lead the Tynesiders deserved, as the commitment shown by their players was matched only by local boys Brodie and Ferrell from the City ranks, and their unity and purpose provided a stark contrast to the uncertainty displayed by the Minstermen.
The tables turned immediately in the second half, though, as City put the home side on the back foot from kick-off, and Provett was forced into a save just two minutes after the break from Richard Brodie's effort from outside the area. On 55 minutes, however, the Gateshead-born striker was not to be denied, as he broke free on the left, and skilfully rounded the last Gateshead defender before calmly slotting the ball past Provett for the equaliser. City's opponents had failed in a bid to lure Brodie home over the summer, but even if the frontman does little else all season, this display - one of his best in a City shirt recently - might at least cause Gateshead manager Ian Bogie to table another offer at the season's end.
City's jubilation at equalising lasted less than a minute, as a clash between Phillips and Pacquette caused the latter to lash out in retaliation, and he was shown a straight red card to reduce City to ten men, and seemingly dent any hopes of a win. A harsher critic might suggest that York had effectively been playing with ten men even before the decision due to an anonymous Neil Barrett, but I will simply remark that he had a poor game and pulled out of several challenges. Martin Foyle, usually reticent in the dugout, was so incensed by the dismissal that his remonstrations at the referee led to him being sent to the stands. Strangely, the sendings off seemed to galvanise City if anything, and from then on they looked the more likely team to score despite Gateshead enjoying most of the possession. On the hour mark, a counter-attack by the visitors resulted in a shooting opportunity for Gash, but the weak attempt he mustered betrayed a lack of confidence in front of goal, and drew groans from the City fans.
When Gash's next chance came, with just ten minutes left on the clock, his confidence seemed to return, and in an instant the jeers of the travelling supporters were replaced by cheers. Andy Ferrell, chasing a loose ball on the left flank, did well just to keep the ball in play, but managed to compose himself sufficiently to send in a pinpoint inswinging cross towards Gash. The former Ebbsfleet forward leapt to meet the ball, before sending a powerful header past Provett and sparking scenes of elation among York's fans, many of whom spilled onto the pitch to join the players' celebrations. And when Gash was substituted shortly afterwards, he received a standing ovation - while this was hardly merited, neither were the earlier catcalls directed at the player, who showed brief flashes of excellence but a worrying lack of fitness, at times looking as though he was running through treacle. Judgement on the wisdom of spending such a large sum on him over summer will have to be reserved for at least a short while longer.
City clung on to their one-goal advantage despite late pressure from Gateshead, thanks in no small part to an excellent performance in the centre of defence by Djoumin Sangare. The big Frenchman, brought on to replace Dave McGurk who sustained an early injury, looked powerful, not short of pace, and commanding in the air; in short, he looked like the kind of defender which City fans have been yearning for ever since the impressive loan spell of Janos Kovacs in the 2006/07 season. The win was as needed as it was fortunate; York's players need to gel quickly to avoid being left behind by the better sides of the division and being forced to write yet another season off at an early stage. As for Gateshead, they look to have a strong team ethic, and more than enough firepower to spring a few surprise results over the course of the campaign. Their strength going forward is balanced by a vulnerability at the back, however, and they seem likely to leak at least as many goals as they score. Having said that, on the evidence of last night's performance, I expect them to survive the drop - and unless City can build on their win and string together a run of results, that might be the only feat which they achieve, too.
Sunday, 16 August 2009
City 2 Forest Green 0
A combination of some nervy finishing and a goalkeeper in inspired form meant that City laboured to their first victory of the season over a poor Forest Green side, when the match could have been won at a canter. A Michael Rankine penalty and a late second from substitute Adam Smith ultimately saw City over the line, but not before a host of missed chances had seen fear set in that a repeat of Tuesday's goalless draw with Rushden & Diamonds was on the cards.
Forest Green, managerless after the farcical dismissal of Jim Harvey, immediately set their stall out to defend in numbers, and the game had a lethargic feel as the home side patiently held possession, as though both sides had agreed to a low-tempo encounter in anticipation of a busy mid-August schedule. Martin Foyle, having stated earlier in the week that 'we just need to decide whether we can go that adventurous and play with two out-and-out wingers', in fact decided that even one winger would be overly audacious, sticking with the same midfield four who had started the first two games despite fan pressure for the inclusion of Smith and Craig Nelthorpe.
Even playing with their very own 'wingless wonders' set-up, however, City were able to fashion a glut of opportunities in the first half. Just two minutes in, Rankine combined with his new strike partner Michael Gash (who replaced Richard Brodie in the only change from midweek), sending in an accurate cross which Gash headed directly into the arms of Rovers keeper Terry Burton. Further good work from Rankine set up an even better chance on fourteen minutes, as his flick-on found Neil Barrett, who skilfully turned inside Mark Preece before forcing Burton into the first of several impressive stops.
The visitors remained on the back foot as the first half progressed, and had Burton to thank again on the half-hour mark. Andy Ferrell's free-kick found its way to an unmarked Gash on the edge of the six-yard box, who brought the ball down and struck a powerful half volley goalwards, only to see the Forest Green stopper parry his strike at the near post. Either side of that chance, twice Rankine out-jumped the opposing defenders but failed to direct his header on target, and at the break City had nothing to show for a dominant first-half display.
After the restart, York's frustration at their failure to score in front of their home crowd in over two hours of competitive football began to impact upon the team's playing style, as an increasingly direct approach was adopted. While the method lacked subtlety and allowed Forest Green a greater share of the ball than they had enjoyed in the first half, the opposition's defence was sufficiently disorganised to enable City's speculative long balls to lead to further scoring opportunities.
First, Ben Purkiss' punt from defence left Barrett with a free run at goal, but despite the City midfielder being bundled over in the area, no penalty was awarded. Next, Gash's flick header from a Michael Ingham long ball sent Alex Lawless clear, but his low drive was easily saved by Burton. It was the first of a hat-trick of chances which Lawless spurned against his former employers, as his curling shot was palmed around the post two minutes later, then he blazed a volley over the bar after a cross from Nelthorpe, whose introduction on the left wing just after the hour mark placated the home supporters as they cried for a more dynamic style of attacking play.
When the deadlock was finally broken fifteen minutes from time, however, it was not an incisive forward run which City had to thank, but a slice of good fortune. Rankine, having won the ball in the air from a corner, fell over the outstretched leg of Ross Stearn while running away from goal, and a penalty - which even Foyle had to admit after the match was fortunate - was given. Rankine made no mistake from the spot, dispatching a confident penalty into the bottom right-hand corner. It was a goal the frontman richly deserved, both for his industry in this game and his excellent strike against Rushden earlier in the week which was chalked off due to an early whistle.
Having conceded, Forest Green were finally forced to press forward, and with five minutes remaining they crafted their first real opening of the game. Fortunately for City, Dave McGurk kept his eye on the ball despite his relative inactivity for the previous 85 minutes, and produced a superb tackle to dispossess Steve Davies in the box. The visitors' need to strive for an equaliser left them even more exposed at the back, and substitute Brodie twice profited from gaps in the Rovers back line to run unchallenged towards goal. He first broke into the area from the left after collecting Nelthorpe's pass, but shot at Burton, then lost possession when dashing down the middle. The ball found its way to Nelthorpe, whose curling effort from twenty-five yards was palmed over by a back-pedalling Burton in possibly his best save of the afternoon.
The second goal eventually came in the last minute when Adam Smith - again restricted to the briefest of cameo appearances - collected Nelthorpe's lengthy pass and showed a composure lacking amongst other members of City's front line to turn the last defender twice before slotting the ball home at the near post. While the 2-0 scoreline failed to reflect City's overall superiority, the team's profligacy in front of goal meant that the prevailing mood was one of relief not to have dropped a further two points.
Most of Foyle's signings may already be on their way to winning over the club's fanbase, but the way in which the City boss chooses to deploy them is still a concern for many. The Minstermen now face a triple-header of away ties in the space of a week, and perhaps the absence of an expectant and impatient home crowd will allow them to play with a greater freedom; if City come away from those ties having failed to score, however, then weight will be added to the argument that Foyle's tactical negativity is holding back a talented squad.
Forest Green, managerless after the farcical dismissal of Jim Harvey, immediately set their stall out to defend in numbers, and the game had a lethargic feel as the home side patiently held possession, as though both sides had agreed to a low-tempo encounter in anticipation of a busy mid-August schedule. Martin Foyle, having stated earlier in the week that 'we just need to decide whether we can go that adventurous and play with two out-and-out wingers', in fact decided that even one winger would be overly audacious, sticking with the same midfield four who had started the first two games despite fan pressure for the inclusion of Smith and Craig Nelthorpe.
Even playing with their very own 'wingless wonders' set-up, however, City were able to fashion a glut of opportunities in the first half. Just two minutes in, Rankine combined with his new strike partner Michael Gash (who replaced Richard Brodie in the only change from midweek), sending in an accurate cross which Gash headed directly into the arms of Rovers keeper Terry Burton. Further good work from Rankine set up an even better chance on fourteen minutes, as his flick-on found Neil Barrett, who skilfully turned inside Mark Preece before forcing Burton into the first of several impressive stops.
The visitors remained on the back foot as the first half progressed, and had Burton to thank again on the half-hour mark. Andy Ferrell's free-kick found its way to an unmarked Gash on the edge of the six-yard box, who brought the ball down and struck a powerful half volley goalwards, only to see the Forest Green stopper parry his strike at the near post. Either side of that chance, twice Rankine out-jumped the opposing defenders but failed to direct his header on target, and at the break City had nothing to show for a dominant first-half display.
After the restart, York's frustration at their failure to score in front of their home crowd in over two hours of competitive football began to impact upon the team's playing style, as an increasingly direct approach was adopted. While the method lacked subtlety and allowed Forest Green a greater share of the ball than they had enjoyed in the first half, the opposition's defence was sufficiently disorganised to enable City's speculative long balls to lead to further scoring opportunities.
First, Ben Purkiss' punt from defence left Barrett with a free run at goal, but despite the City midfielder being bundled over in the area, no penalty was awarded. Next, Gash's flick header from a Michael Ingham long ball sent Alex Lawless clear, but his low drive was easily saved by Burton. It was the first of a hat-trick of chances which Lawless spurned against his former employers, as his curling shot was palmed around the post two minutes later, then he blazed a volley over the bar after a cross from Nelthorpe, whose introduction on the left wing just after the hour mark placated the home supporters as they cried for a more dynamic style of attacking play.
When the deadlock was finally broken fifteen minutes from time, however, it was not an incisive forward run which City had to thank, but a slice of good fortune. Rankine, having won the ball in the air from a corner, fell over the outstretched leg of Ross Stearn while running away from goal, and a penalty - which even Foyle had to admit after the match was fortunate - was given. Rankine made no mistake from the spot, dispatching a confident penalty into the bottom right-hand corner. It was a goal the frontman richly deserved, both for his industry in this game and his excellent strike against Rushden earlier in the week which was chalked off due to an early whistle.
Having conceded, Forest Green were finally forced to press forward, and with five minutes remaining they crafted their first real opening of the game. Fortunately for City, Dave McGurk kept his eye on the ball despite his relative inactivity for the previous 85 minutes, and produced a superb tackle to dispossess Steve Davies in the box. The visitors' need to strive for an equaliser left them even more exposed at the back, and substitute Brodie twice profited from gaps in the Rovers back line to run unchallenged towards goal. He first broke into the area from the left after collecting Nelthorpe's pass, but shot at Burton, then lost possession when dashing down the middle. The ball found its way to Nelthorpe, whose curling effort from twenty-five yards was palmed over by a back-pedalling Burton in possibly his best save of the afternoon.
The second goal eventually came in the last minute when Adam Smith - again restricted to the briefest of cameo appearances - collected Nelthorpe's lengthy pass and showed a composure lacking amongst other members of City's front line to turn the last defender twice before slotting the ball home at the near post. While the 2-0 scoreline failed to reflect City's overall superiority, the team's profligacy in front of goal meant that the prevailing mood was one of relief not to have dropped a further two points.
Most of Foyle's signings may already be on their way to winning over the club's fanbase, but the way in which the City boss chooses to deploy them is still a concern for many. The Minstermen now face a triple-header of away ties in the space of a week, and perhaps the absence of an expectant and impatient home crowd will allow them to play with a greater freedom; if City come away from those ties having failed to score, however, then weight will be added to the argument that Foyle's tactical negativity is holding back a talented squad.
Sunday, 9 August 2009
Oxford 2 City 1
If York's opening encounter at Oxford was a Subway sandwich, it would have been a foot-long steak and cheese; meaty and satisfying at first, you feel on top of it around the halfway stage, but it gradually gets the better of you until the last two mouthfuls leave you wanting to wretch. Late strikes from Matt Green and Michael Creighton dashed City's chances of pulling off a surprise victory at pre-season title hopefuls Oxford, but in the game's post-mortem Martin Foyle will surely find more reasons for encouragement than concern.
In fact, for the first hour of the match, the Minstermen looked on course for a near-perfect away performance, as they took the lead through Richard Brodie before half-time and frustrated the home side by being prudent in possession of the ball and tenacious without it. City dominated the opening exchanges, and could have scored as early as the fifth minute when Brodie headed down a crossfield pass, only for Levi Mackin's shot to be parried by Ryan Clarke in the Oxford goal. Then, as Oxford inevitably found their feet and began to push forward, they could only muster half-chances as the likes of Ferrell and Barrett harried their midfielders on the ball.
Their best chance of the first half probably came when James Meredith, whose frequent wanderings from left-back were a black mark against an otherwise disciplined City back line, committed a foul way over on the right flank, and after City failed to clear, a floated cross found the head of commanding centre-back Creighton. He could only head tamely at Michael Ingham, though, and as Oxford grew weary of their dominance in possession failing to turn into clear chances on goal, they began to commit extra men forward, a risk which backfired twelve minutes before the break.
After one in a series of Oxford attacks broke down, City moved the ball out of defence swiftly, and a punt downfield was chased by Brodie, who was able to find the gap between the last defender and Clarke before rounding the latter for a seemingly free run at the empty net. As we all know, however, Brodie doesn't score easy goals, and he contrived in this case to strike the post under relatively little pressure, but he was well-positioned for the rebound and made no mistake at the second attempt to put City into a 1-0 lead which they held at the interval.
Immediately following the restart, a series of lapses in concentration by City players began to undermine the organisational aptitude they had shown in the first half, but the lapses went unpunished and for the next ten minutes or so the pattern of Oxford being successfully contained and York looking at least slightly threatening on the break was resumed. The closest either side came to scoring was an Andy Ferrell strike from the edge of the box which sailed wide. It was not until Oxford introduced the nippy Green, effectively playing as a third striker alongside Midson and Constable, that they took charge of the game and began to look increasingly like scoring - Danny Parslow came close to relieving them of the burden when his sliced interception of a cross whistled past Ingham's post.
City made an introduction of their own on 68 minutes, in the form of £55,000 signing Michael Gash. Yet although his competitive debut contained some hints that he will add something to the side to justify the fee - including an excellent piece of interplay between him and Brodie which put his strike-partner clear on goal, only for the offside flag to be raised - by then City were swimming against the tide and the front pairing found themselves isolated from the action. As the game entered its final ten minutes, both sides were camped in the visitors' half, and an excellent chance for an equalising goal was wasted when a free-kick from a central position 20 yards out was struck wide of the top-right corner. This, coupled with some heroics from Ingham in the City goal, seemed to create a growing feeling among both sets of fans that the Minstermen were set to hold onto their lead against the odds, but the resistance finally broke in the 88th minute when Green broke clear of the defence and lofted the ball over the outrushing Ingham. Although a desperate goal-line lunge from City's last man seemed to have preserved the lead, the linesman adjudged the ball to have crossed the line and the scores were level.
The home crowd, near-silent for the preceding hour and a half despite numbering around 6000, suddenly found their voice, and started fervently roaring the U's towards the East Stand in search of a stoppage-time winner. City, deflated by the blow of the equaliser, continued to sit deep in their own half and seemed hopeful that the dogged defending which had protected their goal for so long prior to the goal would see them through to the final whistle. However, the defence was breached for a second time just minutes later as a goalmouth scramble found its way to Creighton inside the area, whose low drive never looked likely to miss the target with Ingham making a rare lapse of judgement and leaving himself stranded.
Despite failing to escape with even a point, though, York's players showed a level of spirit and persistence rarely seen in the last campaign, and the performances of some of the new additions gave genuine cause for optimism. Alex Lawless, deployed on the right side of a narrow four-man midfield, was composed on the ball throughout and intelligent in his choices of pass, while Andy Ferrell put in an energetic display on the opposite flank. In addition to Meredith's lack of positional sense, however, City's performance also highlighted at least one potential weak spot in the line-up; Brodie and Rankine looked unsuited as a strike partnership despite some excellent hold-up play by the latter, and hopefully a fully-fit Gash will combine more effectively with one of the two. Overall, though, the early signs are positive, and a repeat performance in City's next two home games against Rushden and Forest Green should more than compensate for the three points snatched away at the death yesterday.
In fact, for the first hour of the match, the Minstermen looked on course for a near-perfect away performance, as they took the lead through Richard Brodie before half-time and frustrated the home side by being prudent in possession of the ball and tenacious without it. City dominated the opening exchanges, and could have scored as early as the fifth minute when Brodie headed down a crossfield pass, only for Levi Mackin's shot to be parried by Ryan Clarke in the Oxford goal. Then, as Oxford inevitably found their feet and began to push forward, they could only muster half-chances as the likes of Ferrell and Barrett harried their midfielders on the ball.
Their best chance of the first half probably came when James Meredith, whose frequent wanderings from left-back were a black mark against an otherwise disciplined City back line, committed a foul way over on the right flank, and after City failed to clear, a floated cross found the head of commanding centre-back Creighton. He could only head tamely at Michael Ingham, though, and as Oxford grew weary of their dominance in possession failing to turn into clear chances on goal, they began to commit extra men forward, a risk which backfired twelve minutes before the break.
After one in a series of Oxford attacks broke down, City moved the ball out of defence swiftly, and a punt downfield was chased by Brodie, who was able to find the gap between the last defender and Clarke before rounding the latter for a seemingly free run at the empty net. As we all know, however, Brodie doesn't score easy goals, and he contrived in this case to strike the post under relatively little pressure, but he was well-positioned for the rebound and made no mistake at the second attempt to put City into a 1-0 lead which they held at the interval.
Immediately following the restart, a series of lapses in concentration by City players began to undermine the organisational aptitude they had shown in the first half, but the lapses went unpunished and for the next ten minutes or so the pattern of Oxford being successfully contained and York looking at least slightly threatening on the break was resumed. The closest either side came to scoring was an Andy Ferrell strike from the edge of the box which sailed wide. It was not until Oxford introduced the nippy Green, effectively playing as a third striker alongside Midson and Constable, that they took charge of the game and began to look increasingly like scoring - Danny Parslow came close to relieving them of the burden when his sliced interception of a cross whistled past Ingham's post.
City made an introduction of their own on 68 minutes, in the form of £55,000 signing Michael Gash. Yet although his competitive debut contained some hints that he will add something to the side to justify the fee - including an excellent piece of interplay between him and Brodie which put his strike-partner clear on goal, only for the offside flag to be raised - by then City were swimming against the tide and the front pairing found themselves isolated from the action. As the game entered its final ten minutes, both sides were camped in the visitors' half, and an excellent chance for an equalising goal was wasted when a free-kick from a central position 20 yards out was struck wide of the top-right corner. This, coupled with some heroics from Ingham in the City goal, seemed to create a growing feeling among both sets of fans that the Minstermen were set to hold onto their lead against the odds, but the resistance finally broke in the 88th minute when Green broke clear of the defence and lofted the ball over the outrushing Ingham. Although a desperate goal-line lunge from City's last man seemed to have preserved the lead, the linesman adjudged the ball to have crossed the line and the scores were level.
The home crowd, near-silent for the preceding hour and a half despite numbering around 6000, suddenly found their voice, and started fervently roaring the U's towards the East Stand in search of a stoppage-time winner. City, deflated by the blow of the equaliser, continued to sit deep in their own half and seemed hopeful that the dogged defending which had protected their goal for so long prior to the goal would see them through to the final whistle. However, the defence was breached for a second time just minutes later as a goalmouth scramble found its way to Creighton inside the area, whose low drive never looked likely to miss the target with Ingham making a rare lapse of judgement and leaving himself stranded.
Despite failing to escape with even a point, though, York's players showed a level of spirit and persistence rarely seen in the last campaign, and the performances of some of the new additions gave genuine cause for optimism. Alex Lawless, deployed on the right side of a narrow four-man midfield, was composed on the ball throughout and intelligent in his choices of pass, while Andy Ferrell put in an energetic display on the opposite flank. In addition to Meredith's lack of positional sense, however, City's performance also highlighted at least one potential weak spot in the line-up; Brodie and Rankine looked unsuited as a strike partnership despite some excellent hold-up play by the latter, and hopefully a fully-fit Gash will combine more effectively with one of the two. Overall, though, the early signs are positive, and a repeat performance in City's next two home games against Rushden and Forest Green should more than compensate for the three points snatched away at the death yesterday.
Wednesday, 1 July 2009
City Gashing in?
Who said the close season had to be dull? After a gripping week-long transfer saga with more twists than a massive twisty thing, City have ended up missing out on one Ebbsfleet player we thought had signed, capturing one we'd never even mentioned and still waiting on a third who is, in all likelihood, not worth anywhere near the £50,000 rumoured to have been offered. So, how did we get here, why were the signings 'unveiled' before the deals had been finalised and, perhaps most importantly, how the devil did we become one of the most minted clubs in the Conference all of a sudden? Let's reacquaint ourselves with exactly how the story panned out.
Monday June 22nd
Ebbsfleet United announce that an unnamed club has bid £80,000 - payable in two equal instalments, one immediately and one in January - for defender Darius Charles and striker Michael Gash. Due to Ebbsfleet being owned by the faux-democratic social experiment gone wrong otherwise known as MyFootballClub, the decision over whether to accept the bid must be voted on by the site's members. Luckily for the unnamed club (which at this stage no-one really suspects is City) these votes are about as unpredictable as an Iranian election, given that they essentially follow whatever advice is given by the board and manager, which in this case recommends that they snap the unnamed club's hands off. The members have two days in which to decide to do exactly as they are told or else.
Tuesday June 23rd
Speculation is rife over the identity of the unnamed club, with City fans throwing our name into the hat more in hope than expectation. The evidence to support their theory seems fairly flimsy - we had earlier tabled a bid of £10,000 for Charles, but Luton and Morecambe had both made substantially larger offers for Gash, and seem more likely to be flush enough to afford such an offer.
Wednesday June 24th
Things begin to get really interesting today. An overwhelming majority (78%) of the MyFC members vote in favour of towing the party line, and all that remains is for the identity of the unnamed club to be revealed. Oh, and for the players to sign deals, but let's not get bogged down in mere formalities. That comes later. Meanwhile, reliable sources are being cited left, right and centre, to support claims that we are the unnamed club, and rabid excitement mounts. Whether this is over the prospect of the two players involved signing for City or the sheer novelty of the club actually being able to spend money on players remains unclear.
Thursday June 25th
With City fans just about creaming their pants as the rumour gathers pace, party-pooper Dave Flett ruins it all with a throwaway sentence in an otherwise uninteresting article about some mediocre left-back, which states that 'manager Martin Foyle has revealed that City are not the club who have had an £80,000 bid accepted by Ebbsfleet for Michael Gash and Darius Charles'. Sounds pretty final, so that must have been that, right? Weirdly, no.
Friday June 26th
Foyle's apparent denial fails to halt the juggernaut that is the Gash-and-Charles-to-City rumour. After all, proponents of the rumour point out, Flett's article contains no direct quote from Foyle, although it's difficult to envision the scenario in which a denial could have been interpreted when none was forthcoming. Perhaps Foyle said 'Oh, someone's bidding for Mark Gash and Darren Charles? Never heard of them' and then performed an exaggerated wink which Mr Flett failed to catch. We will simply never know.
Saturday June 27th
Today the world is turned upon its head, as it becomes apparent that we can no longer trust the Press. Flett's latest article not only adds fuel to the fire by revealing that the club are set to unveil three new signings on Monday, but also heavily insinuates that Gash and Charles are two of the three by retracting the earlier denial by Foyle.
Sunday June 28th
The Non-League Paper jumps aboard the bandwagon, with an article revealing City as the unnamed club. Fans wait with bated breath for the unveiling tomorrow, a week after the original bid was submitted.
Monday June 29th
It's official! York City have signed Darius Charles, Michael Gash and Neil Barrett! Wait, who's that third one? Another Ebbsfleet player, although it is unclear initially whether he is joining as part of the Gash/Charles deal or separately. There can be no more doubts that the deal is going ahead - maybe we can't trust the Press, but the official site is running the story too. Joy abounds, and City's odds descend rapidly. 'A big coup for York City', says Foyle! 'The London-based trio will be moving to York', adds the official site! 'We're going to win the league', yell the masses, foaming at the mouth despite having never seen the players involved in action.
And then, just as everyone is settling down with a celebratory cup of Horlicks, another rumour starts. The deal, despite appearing to have been finalised, has fallen through. One of the players has failed to agree terms. This rumour is then confirmed on the Ebbsfleet site, which makes it clear that since the offer was for both players, neither will now be making the move North due to an about-turn performed by one (Charles, it turns out).
Tuesday June 30th
The dust settles and all becomes clear: the players had agreed terms in principle and were all set to join today, but Charles had a last-minute change of heart and decided to stay in London with his pregnant girlfriend. So why had the deal been announced if it hadn't been finalised? Sophie McGill kindly explains to us that the club saw no point in delaying the announcement, because there simply remained a few formalities to tie up. Formalities like the players actually signing contracts with the club. In a final, farcical twist, the Press runs with a back page hailing the arrival of City's three saviours. That might have been understandable, as news of the collapse broke late the night before, but less understandable is the decision to add the stories about an '£80k statement of intent' eleven hours after it has become apparent that intent alone would be as far as the deal went. A brief article explaining the 'new' situation appears soon after, but not before a few idle hopes had been raised that the previous night had all been a bad dream. In the end, though, the overall damage turns out to be relatively minimal, as Barrett joins regardless, and the club submit a further bid for Gash.
So, it was a bit of pre-season excitement while it lasted, and given that we're one player better off with significant funds left to burn, can we not shrug off the loss of Charles, and move on with no real harm done? Well, not exactly. The image of those responsible for running the club is growing more amateurish by the week, and while Sophie McGill might cry that announcing players have signed before they've actually put pen to paper is 'the normal way' in football, the board are being left red-faced far too frequently for it to be attributed simply to misfortune. One occasion might seem like carelessness, but two in the space of two weeks? Fortunately, some blushes were spared when the club secured a replacement for Charles hours after the deal's collapse, but Martin Foyle's comment upon securing O'Hare that he 'always had a feeling something wasn't right' with Charles only makes the premature announcement that he had signed more baffling.
More baffling still, perhaps, is that the club are suddenly able to shell out £80,000 on two players from a team who finished below us last season, and still come in under the playing budget. The source of the funds is presumably the run to Wembley and extra monies from recently-promoted Scunthorpe as part of the Martyn Woolford sale. But aren't these the same funds which weren't sufficient to plug a £19,000 gap to keep the youth team running? Regardless of whether you think, as I do, that this reflects a wrong ordering of priorities, what is undeniable is that the tone of the board's statements about the financial situation seems to be changed at will in different circumstances. As for the Press, the debacle of the past week has only confirmed what we already suspected; that the reporters are just as clueless as the rest of us when it comes to goings-on at the club, and in some cases more so.
Monday June 22nd
Ebbsfleet United announce that an unnamed club has bid £80,000 - payable in two equal instalments, one immediately and one in January - for defender Darius Charles and striker Michael Gash. Due to Ebbsfleet being owned by the faux-democratic social experiment gone wrong otherwise known as MyFootballClub, the decision over whether to accept the bid must be voted on by the site's members. Luckily for the unnamed club (which at this stage no-one really suspects is City) these votes are about as unpredictable as an Iranian election, given that they essentially follow whatever advice is given by the board and manager, which in this case recommends that they snap the unnamed club's hands off. The members have two days in which to decide to do exactly as they are told or else.
Tuesday June 23rd
Speculation is rife over the identity of the unnamed club, with City fans throwing our name into the hat more in hope than expectation. The evidence to support their theory seems fairly flimsy - we had earlier tabled a bid of £10,000 for Charles, but Luton and Morecambe had both made substantially larger offers for Gash, and seem more likely to be flush enough to afford such an offer.
Wednesday June 24th
Things begin to get really interesting today. An overwhelming majority (78%) of the MyFC members vote in favour of towing the party line, and all that remains is for the identity of the unnamed club to be revealed. Oh, and for the players to sign deals, but let's not get bogged down in mere formalities. That comes later. Meanwhile, reliable sources are being cited left, right and centre, to support claims that we are the unnamed club, and rabid excitement mounts. Whether this is over the prospect of the two players involved signing for City or the sheer novelty of the club actually being able to spend money on players remains unclear.
Thursday June 25th
With City fans just about creaming their pants as the rumour gathers pace, party-pooper Dave Flett ruins it all with a throwaway sentence in an otherwise uninteresting article about some mediocre left-back, which states that 'manager Martin Foyle has revealed that City are not the club who have had an £80,000 bid accepted by Ebbsfleet for Michael Gash and Darius Charles'. Sounds pretty final, so that must have been that, right? Weirdly, no.
Friday June 26th
Foyle's apparent denial fails to halt the juggernaut that is the Gash-and-Charles-to-City rumour. After all, proponents of the rumour point out, Flett's article contains no direct quote from Foyle, although it's difficult to envision the scenario in which a denial could have been interpreted when none was forthcoming. Perhaps Foyle said 'Oh, someone's bidding for Mark Gash and Darren Charles? Never heard of them' and then performed an exaggerated wink which Mr Flett failed to catch. We will simply never know.
Saturday June 27th
Today the world is turned upon its head, as it becomes apparent that we can no longer trust the Press. Flett's latest article not only adds fuel to the fire by revealing that the club are set to unveil three new signings on Monday, but also heavily insinuates that Gash and Charles are two of the three by retracting the earlier denial by Foyle.
Sunday June 28th
The Non-League Paper jumps aboard the bandwagon, with an article revealing City as the unnamed club. Fans wait with bated breath for the unveiling tomorrow, a week after the original bid was submitted.
Monday June 29th
It's official! York City have signed Darius Charles, Michael Gash and Neil Barrett! Wait, who's that third one? Another Ebbsfleet player, although it is unclear initially whether he is joining as part of the Gash/Charles deal or separately. There can be no more doubts that the deal is going ahead - maybe we can't trust the Press, but the official site is running the story too. Joy abounds, and City's odds descend rapidly. 'A big coup for York City', says Foyle! 'The London-based trio will be moving to York', adds the official site! 'We're going to win the league', yell the masses, foaming at the mouth despite having never seen the players involved in action.
And then, just as everyone is settling down with a celebratory cup of Horlicks, another rumour starts. The deal, despite appearing to have been finalised, has fallen through. One of the players has failed to agree terms. This rumour is then confirmed on the Ebbsfleet site, which makes it clear that since the offer was for both players, neither will now be making the move North due to an about-turn performed by one (Charles, it turns out).
Tuesday June 30th
The dust settles and all becomes clear: the players had agreed terms in principle and were all set to join today, but Charles had a last-minute change of heart and decided to stay in London with his pregnant girlfriend. So why had the deal been announced if it hadn't been finalised? Sophie McGill kindly explains to us that the club saw no point in delaying the announcement, because there simply remained a few formalities to tie up. Formalities like the players actually signing contracts with the club. In a final, farcical twist, the Press runs with a back page hailing the arrival of City's three saviours. That might have been understandable, as news of the collapse broke late the night before, but less understandable is the decision to add the stories about an '£80k statement of intent' eleven hours after it has become apparent that intent alone would be as far as the deal went. A brief article explaining the 'new' situation appears soon after, but not before a few idle hopes had been raised that the previous night had all been a bad dream. In the end, though, the overall damage turns out to be relatively minimal, as Barrett joins regardless, and the club submit a further bid for Gash.
So, it was a bit of pre-season excitement while it lasted, and given that we're one player better off with significant funds left to burn, can we not shrug off the loss of Charles, and move on with no real harm done? Well, not exactly. The image of those responsible for running the club is growing more amateurish by the week, and while Sophie McGill might cry that announcing players have signed before they've actually put pen to paper is 'the normal way' in football, the board are being left red-faced far too frequently for it to be attributed simply to misfortune. One occasion might seem like carelessness, but two in the space of two weeks? Fortunately, some blushes were spared when the club secured a replacement for Charles hours after the deal's collapse, but Martin Foyle's comment upon securing O'Hare that he 'always had a feeling something wasn't right' with Charles only makes the premature announcement that he had signed more baffling.
More baffling still, perhaps, is that the club are suddenly able to shell out £80,000 on two players from a team who finished below us last season, and still come in under the playing budget. The source of the funds is presumably the run to Wembley and extra monies from recently-promoted Scunthorpe as part of the Martyn Woolford sale. But aren't these the same funds which weren't sufficient to plug a £19,000 gap to keep the youth team running? Regardless of whether you think, as I do, that this reflects a wrong ordering of priorities, what is undeniable is that the tone of the board's statements about the financial situation seems to be changed at will in different circumstances. As for the Press, the debacle of the past week has only confirmed what we already suspected; that the reporters are just as clueless as the rest of us when it comes to goings-on at the club, and in some cases more so.
Thursday, 18 June 2009
'He who does not learn from history is doomed to repeat it'
Jason McGill, that is. You'd think by now that he would greet the reappearance of the Curse of the Contractual Loophole, which strikes the club every summer, like a visit from an old friend. Or at worst like the annual visit of an unwelcome relative; mildly irritating, but expected. Yet he seems to have been genuinely caught off-guard by the news that Onome Sodje's move to Barnsley looks set to go through without any cash arriving in exchange. The official statement shows the club still clinging on to the idea of a tribunal, but given that it has now become apparent that Sodje was playing for City on a non-contract basis only for the past two seasons, frankly they seem to be pissing in the wind.
Let's take a look at the previous casualties.
2006: Top-scorer Andy Bishop leaves on a free transfer to Bury. Despite Bishop being 23 and therefore ineligible to leave for free under the Bosman ruling, a clause written into the contract offered to him by then manager Chris Brass (and presumably ratified by McGill) extends this privilege to him on the condition that City are not promoted, and a Football League club offer him a deal.
2007: Top-scorer Clayton Donaldson leaves on a free transfer to Hibernian. Despite Donaldson being 23 and therefore ineligible to leave for free to another English club under the Bosman ruling, Hibernian are not required to pay a fee as it is classed as an international transfer, for which the age limit is a year lower. The club vows to take the matter to appeal, but nothing ever comes of it.
2008: In fact, this looks to be an anomaly - although our star player again departed, on this occasion Scunthorpe were honourable enough to actually pay for Martyn Woolford (and a six-figure sum, no less). However, given that exact details of the deal were never released, and the general consensus that a fair amount of the fee was tied down in clauses, would it be all that surprising to learn that Woolford putting in a man-of-the-match performance in the playoff final triggered a clause which meant that York had to hand back every penny they had received?
Of course, the Woolford deal did in fact represent a decent bit of business, and if anything Scunthorpe's promotion could have been good news for City financially. But this week's events show that we're back to being screwed over. Or do they? The case is complex enough to have seemingly confused both the club and the Press, so let's examine the details more closely. This much is clear: that Sodje was unable to sign a contract with any English club as a result of being a Nigerian national, and that the only way to overcome this was for the player to gain either a work permit, or Indefinite Leave to remain in the UK. The former is a red herring, because not only can work permits only be granted to Football League players, they are also dependent on the player having turned out for 75% of his national team's matches. It is Indefinite Leave, then, which Sodje has been awarded, apparently with the help of £5,000 of McGill's own money, plus letters of recommendation from our Most Reverend and Right Honourable season-ticket holder John Sentamu, and Hugh Bayley MP. Indefinite Leave, unlike a work permit, is never dependent on any contract of work, which means that the club's statement that Sodje finally received it this April 'on the basis he would sign a contract with York City Football Club' seems to rest either on a misunderstanding, or more likely a deliberate conflation, of the two concepts.
Certainly, there are 'exceptional circumstances' surrounding the player, but are there any real grounds for claiming that some form of compensation is due? The fact that the club did offer the player a permanent contract as soon as they were able seems irrelevant, as the contract was never signed. The campaigning which the club did on Sodje's behalf to remain in the country also has little relevance to his move to Barnsley, and I would suggest that the impact of these efforts upon the decision to grant him Indefinite Leave may well have been overplayed. All that remains, then, is the £5,000 which McGill provided to cover legal costs. Regardless of whether this is seen as an act of generosity or a hopeful investment which would bear fruit later with a big-money move, it seems that no strings were attached and so Sodje was perfectly entitled to take up the offer and then move on. The club can try to paint the young striker as a pantomime villain all they like, and of course some fans will be only too happy to play along, but we should have learnt that loyalty from players is the exception rather than the rule in the modern game. What we, and more importantly Jason McGill, should also have learnt is that all possible loopholes should be explored when dealing with player's contracts, but this affair has brought to light that our chairman is still demonstrating considerable naivety. Of course, this is infinitely preferable to owners who openly try to asset-strip the club, but repeatedly missing out on financial reward for players which the club has developed is hugely regrettable given the continually perilous state of the club's finances. The only saving grace is that on this occasion, the playing squad won't be adversely effected by the loss.
Let's take a look at the previous casualties.
2006: Top-scorer Andy Bishop leaves on a free transfer to Bury. Despite Bishop being 23 and therefore ineligible to leave for free under the Bosman ruling, a clause written into the contract offered to him by then manager Chris Brass (and presumably ratified by McGill) extends this privilege to him on the condition that City are not promoted, and a Football League club offer him a deal.
2007: Top-scorer Clayton Donaldson leaves on a free transfer to Hibernian. Despite Donaldson being 23 and therefore ineligible to leave for free to another English club under the Bosman ruling, Hibernian are not required to pay a fee as it is classed as an international transfer, for which the age limit is a year lower. The club vows to take the matter to appeal, but nothing ever comes of it.
2008: In fact, this looks to be an anomaly - although our star player again departed, on this occasion Scunthorpe were honourable enough to actually pay for Martyn Woolford (and a six-figure sum, no less). However, given that exact details of the deal were never released, and the general consensus that a fair amount of the fee was tied down in clauses, would it be all that surprising to learn that Woolford putting in a man-of-the-match performance in the playoff final triggered a clause which meant that York had to hand back every penny they had received?
Of course, the Woolford deal did in fact represent a decent bit of business, and if anything Scunthorpe's promotion could have been good news for City financially. But this week's events show that we're back to being screwed over. Or do they? The case is complex enough to have seemingly confused both the club and the Press, so let's examine the details more closely. This much is clear: that Sodje was unable to sign a contract with any English club as a result of being a Nigerian national, and that the only way to overcome this was for the player to gain either a work permit, or Indefinite Leave to remain in the UK. The former is a red herring, because not only can work permits only be granted to Football League players, they are also dependent on the player having turned out for 75% of his national team's matches. It is Indefinite Leave, then, which Sodje has been awarded, apparently with the help of £5,000 of McGill's own money, plus letters of recommendation from our Most Reverend and Right Honourable season-ticket holder John Sentamu, and Hugh Bayley MP. Indefinite Leave, unlike a work permit, is never dependent on any contract of work, which means that the club's statement that Sodje finally received it this April 'on the basis he would sign a contract with York City Football Club' seems to rest either on a misunderstanding, or more likely a deliberate conflation, of the two concepts.
Certainly, there are 'exceptional circumstances' surrounding the player, but are there any real grounds for claiming that some form of compensation is due? The fact that the club did offer the player a permanent contract as soon as they were able seems irrelevant, as the contract was never signed. The campaigning which the club did on Sodje's behalf to remain in the country also has little relevance to his move to Barnsley, and I would suggest that the impact of these efforts upon the decision to grant him Indefinite Leave may well have been overplayed. All that remains, then, is the £5,000 which McGill provided to cover legal costs. Regardless of whether this is seen as an act of generosity or a hopeful investment which would bear fruit later with a big-money move, it seems that no strings were attached and so Sodje was perfectly entitled to take up the offer and then move on. The club can try to paint the young striker as a pantomime villain all they like, and of course some fans will be only too happy to play along, but we should have learnt that loyalty from players is the exception rather than the rule in the modern game. What we, and more importantly Jason McGill, should also have learnt is that all possible loopholes should be explored when dealing with player's contracts, but this affair has brought to light that our chairman is still demonstrating considerable naivety. Of course, this is infinitely preferable to owners who openly try to asset-strip the club, but repeatedly missing out on financial reward for players which the club has developed is hugely regrettable given the continually perilous state of the club's finances. The only saving grace is that on this occasion, the playing squad won't be adversely effected by the loss.
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