Blue
Square Premier - 24th August 2007
At KitKat Crescent - Att 2,294 (47 Forest Green)
Report
The Minstermen's disappointing start to the season was
maintained as centre-back Darren Jones (48) and striker Stuart
Fleetwood (77) earned visitors Forest Green Rovers a 2-0 victory
in front of a 2,294 attendance at KitKat Crescent.
York City crashed to a second successive home defeat against
Forest Green Rovers at KitKat Crescent.
Goals from Darren Jones and Stuart Fleetwood proved sufficient
to clinch a 2-0 success and third place in the table for the
visitors.
Centre-back Jones bundled in Alex Lawless' free-kick to open
the scoring in the 48th minute.
Former Hereford United striker Fleetwood then took advantage
of a fortunate deflection to seal victory thirteen minutes from
time.
Meanwhile, their opponents' best efforts came from striker Onome
Sodje and a late header from centre-back David
McGurk.
The Minstermen were also forced into playing the entire second-half
without a recognised central midfielder after Ross
Greenwood broke a finger following a collision with a team-mate
during the pre-match warm-up.
Skipper Emmanuel
Panther then had to be replaced at the start of the second
period after sustaining a hamstring injury.
York chief Billy McEwan
handed a first start to former Rovers' winger Alex
Meechan, while Joey Hutchinson was retained at the expense
of the unfortunate Greenwood.
Forest Green were the first to threaten in the seventh minute
when Lawless flashed the ball dangerously across the face of
goal.
Home striker Beardsley then had a 25-yard effort comfortably
gathered by Rovers' second-choice keeper Terry Burton, while
Martyn Woolford
also scuffed a left-footed drive wide.
The action continued to be seriously laboured until Darren
Craddock swept a 28th minute pass towards Sodje, who expertly
turned centre-back Chris Giles and raced clear before his attempted
finish was brilliantly parried behind by Burton.
York suffered a major blow at the start of the second-half as
inspirational skipper Panther failed to reappear, and was replaced
by right-back Ben Purkiss
- cast in an unfamiliar central midfield role.
Their problems were significantly increased three minutes later
when, after Craddock had been cautioned for a foul on the lively
Fleetwood, Lawless' free-kick was eventually forced home at
the far post by centre-back JONES - despite
keeper Evans achieving a partial block.
Fleetwood burst into the area six minutes later after a slip
by McGurk and dragged a right-footed shot across goal, before
Beardsley headed Craddock's free-kick over at the opposite end.
The Minstermen introduced Craig
Farrell on the hour in place of the limping Meechan, while
left-back Mark Robinson
worked his way around the back and crossed for Woolford to attempt
to hook the ball back at the far post.
Forest Green's substitute Les Afful saw a cross from the left
headed behind by Craddock, before Giles headed powerfully wide
from Simon Clist's resulting corner.
The contest was finally settled in the 77th minute when an error
from McGurk allowed FLEETWOOD to surge clear
and comfortably round keeper Evans.
The hosts immediately replaced striker Beardsley with Brodie,
and went close to reducing the deficit in the 82nd minute when
Woolford's inswinging corner from the right found McGurk's blistering
header being brilliantly fended away by Burton.
Rovers' substitute Afful blasted a late attempt over the bar,
while Burton also saved a fierce 20-yard drive from Woolford
in the final minute.
York now face a crucial trip to fellow strugglers Northwich
Victoria on Monday afternoon, before hosting Rushden & Diamonds
in the live TV fixture just three days later.
Ref: M. Matadar
The Teams
York City: Tom Evans, Darren Craddock, Danny
Parslow, David McGurk, Mark Robinson, Alex Meechan (Craig Farrell
61), Joey Hutchinson, Emmanuel Panther (Ben Purkiss 46), Martyn
Woolford, Chris Beardsley (Richard Brodie 78), Onome Sodje
Subs (unused): Carl Pentney, Paul Brayson
Booked: Craddock (49)
Forest Green: Terry Burton, John Hardiker (Les
Afful 60), Darren Jones, Chris Giles, Anthony Tonkin, Alex Lawless,
Michael Brough, Simon Clist, Stuart Fleetwood (Mark Preece 90),
Paul Stonehouse, Danny Carey-Bertram (Mark Beesley 67)
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