Blue
Square Premier - 27th September 2007
At KitKat Crescent - Att 2,134 (250 Halifax)
Report
Substitute Alex
Meechan (70) claimed a dramatic winner against his former
club Halifax Town to complete a remarkable comeback by the Minstermen.
The visitors were cruising after strikes from Anthony Griffith
(17) and Danny Forrest (52) before Onome
Sodje (58) and Martyn
Woolford (61) replied.
Substitute Alex Meechan claimed a dramatic winner against his
former club to complete a magnificent comeback by the hosts
and finally end their long wait for a victory in front of a
live TV audience.
The Minstermen had appeared set for another home defeat when
on loan Republic of Ireland under-21 international keeper Stephen
Henderson badly misjudged a speculative 25-yard effort from
Anthony Griffith on seventeen minutes.
The visitors then extended their advantage seven minutes after
the interval when midfielder Danny Forrest drove high into the
roof of the net following a sparkling run from right-back Ryan
Toulson.
But two strikes in four minutes from Onome Sodje (58) and Martyn
Woolford (61) helped launch a tremendous recovery that was completed
when former Halifax winger Meechan - who ironically scored for
the visitors as a substitute against York in one of their earliest
live TV appearances - sent the home crowd into ecstasy with
a 70th minute winner.
There was little evidence of the tremendous drama that was about
to unfold in a distinctly tedious first-half that saw the injury-hit
hosts - with Darren
Craddock recalled into an unfamiliar left-back role and
Paul Brayson restored
to their attack - struggle to find anything in the way of true
cohesion.
Meanwhile, their opponents were proving little better and indeed
went close to falling behind in the tenth minute when home striker
Sodje raced onto centre-back Cortez Belle's weak attempted back
header following Craddock's ball forward, and lobbed over former
York trialist keeper Craig Mawson and against the top of the
crossbar.
The action immediately switched to the opposite end where ex-City
loan striker Jon Shaw headed narrowly wide of the right-hand
post.
Disaster then beset the home side in the 17th minute when midfielder
GRIFFITH struck a hopeful 25-yard effort that
bounced in front of keeper Henderson before somehow finding
its way into the net.
The damage could have been even greater had another former York
loanee, Darryn Stamp, converted an excellent chance following
a cross from Forrest, while recent newcomer Nicky Wroe headed
wide for the hosts on 32 minutes from skipper Emmanuel
Panther's cross.
The home faithful were no doubt expecting better as the second-half
opened with Stamp attempting a speculative long-range effort,
and Steve Torpey almost netting from Toulson's 49th minute cross.
Three minutes later the visitors went further ahead when the
enterprising Toulson burst through a couple of challenges before
presenting the opportunity for FORREST to drive
high into the net from 12-yards.
York manager Billy
McEwan immediately responded by sending on Meechan at the
expense of Wroe, while it required a superb challenge in the
area from home centre-back David
McGurk to deny Forrest on 55 minutes.
The hosts began their magnificent comeback three minutes later
when midfielder Stuart
Elliott threaded an inviting ball into the path of his former
Northwich Victoria colleague Brayson, who remained on his feet
despite a heavy challenge in the area and squared across for
SODJE to prod home his fourth goal of the season
at the far post.
It got even better three minutes later with Brayson again the
architect when his low cross struck centre-back Belle and dropped
for WOOLFORD to drill the ball inside the left-hand
upright from eight-yards.
Home keeper Henderson blocked a close-range effort from substitute
Daryl Taylor during a mass scramble from a 69th minute corner
before his side incredibly took the lead just sixty seconds
later with their third strike in twelve sensational minutes.
Once more Brayson was to the fore with a neat pass that allowed
Sodje to demonstrate his terrific pace down the left before
displaying superb awareness to pull the ball back across for
substitute MEECHAN to net from three-yards.
The Minstermen were now in sight of their first home victory
of the season, although they were almost denied with just three
minutes remaining when substitute Taylor's dipping 20-yard attempt
clipped the top of the crossbar.
But the hosts remained strong for the duration and were moments
later left celebrating a remarkable turnabout and a long-awaited
first success in front of a live national TV audience.
Ref: C.Sarginson
The Teams
York City: Stephen Henderson, Ben Purkiss,
David McGurk, Darren Kelly, Darren Craddock, Nicky Wroe (Alex
Meechan 53), Emmanuel Panther, Stuart Elliott, Martyn Woolford,
Onome Sodje (Russell Fry 87), Paul Brayson
Subs (unused): Tom Evans, Danny Parslow, Anthony Lloyd
Booked: None
Halifax: Craig Mawson, Ryan Toulson, Adam Quinn,
Cortez Belle, Jake Wright, Danny Forrest, Tom Kearney, Anthony
Griffith, Steve Torpey, Jon Shaw (Daryl Taylor 22), Darryn Stamp
(Junior Dadson 69)
Subs (unused): Matthew Doughty, Steve Bushell, Greg Young
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