York City
Wroe
(34, 49), Woolford (59), Brodie (66)
4
FA
Trophy 2nd Round Replay - 22nd February 2008
At Recreation Ground - Att 528
Report
After putting in some sterling performances in the second half
of matches, City finally strung two 45-minute performances back-to-back
as Grays were dumped unceremoniously out of the FA Trophy on
Tuesday. On a cold night and difficult pitch, City were irrepressible,
making a mockery of Grays' reputation of having the meanest
defence in the Blue Square Premier. Alfreton Town or Farsley
Celtic await in round 3, but neither can much fancy facing City
in this mood.
Starting with the same starting eleven as finished the previous
Saturday's game at Altrincham, City were playing up the slope
in the first half. After a period where City seemed keen to
get it forward as quickly as possible, the ball was gradually
brought down to the ground and City showed that, ploughed field
or billiard table, they can play football. This was a good thing
as, after the recent rains and subsequent frosts, the Recreation
Ground surface resembled more of a porcini mushroom and spinach
risotto than a football pitch. Early notice was served on Grays,
who were unusually lacklustre, particularly in the attacking
third, as Martyn
Woolford and Manny
Panther combined to free Ben
Purkiss whose cross was headed wide by Anthony
Lloyd. A quick break - a feature of York's play all evening
- ended with Richard
Brodie needing a touch too many which lost him the chance
and Stuart Elliott
fired well wide from range after Panther's lay-off.
Eventually, the pressure had to tell and it did in the 34th
minute after some hard work from Brodie. He chased a lost cause
down into the corner, skipped past a despairing lunge and squared
it for Nicky Wroe
who just about got enough of a shin on it to take it over the
line. Not the classiest of finishes perhaps, but City were off
and running. The chances just kept on raining in. Just before
the break, a looping Danny
Parslow header had David Button back-pedalling. City came
out after the break like men possessed. Brodie headed onto the
roof of the net almost before everyone had taken their places
for the second half and Woolford - outstanding once again in
a central striker role - brought down a long ball, turned and
shot, only to bring the best out of Button who saved well. City
weren't to be denied long and after another flurry of crosses
and shots on the battered Grays penalty area, Wroe unleashed
an 18-yard piledriver which took a wicked deflection, causing
it to loop up and over Button and into the net for 2-0.
Still the chances came. A fierce shot from Woolford was parried
by Button, but the on-rushing Lloyd couldn't make his best impression
of Andy Gray count - a full-length diving header at a ball about
two inches of the ground - as he rather belly flopped into the
goal mouth mud slick.
Move of the match produced goal of the match in the 59th minute.
Wroe and Woolford exchanged passes in centre field, Woolford
put a slide rule pass wide for Brodie to run onto. Woolford
continued his run into the box and he met Brodie's first-time
cross about 12 yards out with a flying volley that left Button
with no chance. Three quickly became four as Brodie surged into
the box and was tripped rather blatantly by Santos Gaia. Picking
himself up, Brodie grabbed the ball away from the hat-trick
seeking Wroe, but any disappointment was put aside as Brodie
smashed in superb penalty.
The blot on the copybook came with twenty minutes left as City
failed to deal with a corner. No arguments about the finish
from substitute Danny Kedwell who volleyed home in grand style.
City came roaring back and it was Wroe at the forefront of most
of it. He fired wide twice in quick succession; one with a shot
as the ball came across him and again from 20 yards out. Woolford
could have put the icing on the cake in stoppage time. With
City stringing passes together like there was no tomorrow, and
the travelling support joining in the fun with the 'ol?, Woolford
turned the defence left, right, left again and fired a shot
which came crashing back off the angle of post and bar. Perhaps
it would have been greedy, but it would have capped the best
90 minutes of football played under Colin
Walker's managership.
"We played real well" was the not unreasonable assessment
of the boss. "We came up with a game plan, we stuck to
it and it worked. We won the battle early on and then our football
came out and took over. It's a difficult place to come, but
that was a fantastic team effort. They say here that it's about
playing for the name on the front of the shirt, not the name
on the back, and I think that showed tonight". There was
a special word for Martyn Woolford as he made it three in two
games for himself. "Wooly's ability to play up there will
keep folk guessing", said Walker, commenting on the relative
embarrassment of riches now on offer up front. Stevenage boss
Peter Taylor was watching from the stands. What he thinks now
is anyone's guess.
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