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.
Wednesday 26 August 2009
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.
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