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York City 1-1 Stevenage Borough |
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By Max Benson
It is a day where everyone at York City Football Club can feel very proud indeed.
In the face of highly questionable tactics employed by the opposition, Jimmy Sangare was the hero as he headed home to rescue a point in injury time to justify the Minstermen’s effort to play the game in the right spirit.
Alex Lawless was restricted to a place among the substitutes on his return after a virus so Levi Mackin retained his place in the starting line up.
New signing Chris Carruthers also made the bench after joining on loan, initially for a month, from Oxford United.
Stevenage went into the game without several players. Former Grays centre back Jon Ashton missed out after dislocating a shoulder. Other long term casualties David Bridges and Lawrie Wilson were also absent for the high flying visitors.
As expected, former City forward Chris Beardsley continued in attack for the Hertfordshire side, keeping his place alongside fellow summer signing Charlie Griffin.
Perhaps spurred on by Martin Foyle’s recent comments in the media, the Jorvik Reds led another passionate display of support in the David Longhurst Stand as the players came out, ably stoking the atmosphere in blustery conditions before kick off.
After 3 minutes City had the first chance of the game. Sangare nodded wide after meeting an Andy Ferrell free kick from the right which was awarded after Scott Laird seemed to try and kick Adam Smith into the Pop Stand.
After 10 minutes, Stevenage had their contingent on the bench reduced.
Dino Maarmria is now Assistant Manager at Borough and has never been one to shy away from conflict. He was dismissed by Referee Naylor, who had a decent game under the circumstances, after repeatedly confronting City’s Assistant Andy Porter who was stood in his own technical area at the time.
Battling against the elements, City managed a first shot on target after 16 minutes. Smith linked up well with Ben Purkiss down the right before hitting a speculative effort that deflected off Neil Barrett and safely into the arms of Stevenage ‘keeper Chris Day.
Michael Gash’s game came to a premature end halfway through the first half. He hobbled off with a suspected foot injury and was replaced by Michael Rankine.
The Minstermen nearly found themselves in trouble shortly afterwards. James Meredith struck a clearance straight into the lively Mitchell Cole who flew down the flank but saw his cross blocked out for a corner by the covering Daniel Parslow.
Beardsley is largely respected by York fans after his time with the club but he was rapidly approaching villain status by the half hour mark. Having already committed a crunching foul, the former Kettering striker received a booking after elbowing Sangare flush in the face.
It was the blustering wind that led to Stevenage’s opener on 32 minutes. Cole lofted in a corner from the right that swirled for an eternity before reaching the back post where an unfortunate Parslow headed into his own net.
Griffin also picked up a yellow card after clattering into the back of Neil Barrett with no chance of reaching the ball.
City did have time to threaten once more before the break. Rankine bulldozed his way through the away defence before the ball squirted left to Brodie. Using the wind, the Geordie front man curled the ball to the back post where Smith volleyed comfortably over.
Just seconds into the second half Stevenage could have extended their lead as Andy Drury forced an inspired save from Michael Ingham with a drive from the edge of the box.
Four minutes later, Day made a comfortable save at the other end after Brodie nearly flicked in a cross from the right after an outstanding dummy by Barrett.
With the wind now at their backs, the Minstermen looked to take the game to their opponents.
The rampaging Sangare bounded out of his own area to start a move that culminated in a Smith cross from the right that flew all the way to Ferrell at the opposite side of the area. His return ball somehow managed to evade the numerous bodies in the box before being cleared.
Brodie was close again on the hour mark, latching on to a Meredith pass and curling narrowly wide from 25 yards.
Smith and Purkiss linked up once again in the 66th minute. After some neat interplay on the right flank, it was Smith who this time jinked his way through and delivered a cross that was just too close to Day who gathered with ease.
Stevenage are unlikely to win any fair play awards in the near future and there was certainly not much of the Corinthian spirit about Graham Westley’s side this week.
The second half was repeatedly disrupted with a succession of apparent injuries, impromptu drinks breaks and one of the most time consuming substitutions seen at Bootham Crescent in recent years.
Lawless and Carruthers were brought on for Mackin and Ferrell as City tried to restore some rhythm to a contest now blighted by time wasting and gamesmanship.
And Lawless nearly made an instant impact, unleashing a goal-bound drive from well outside the area that deflected over off the head of Griffin.
Another chance soon followed. Smith cut in from the right across the back four before firing a drive over the bar with his weaker left foot.
Sangare kept his side in it in the 86th minute. Substitute Yemi Odubade sprung the offside trap only for the Frenchman to execute a sublime last-ditch tackle, somehow contriving to win a goal kick in the process.
The Minstermen were getting desperate as bodies were thrown forward. On 88 minutes Parslow had a rare shot, dragging his effort wide after connecting with Brodie’s knock down from 12 yards out.
But justice was finally done in the second minute of injury time. Heroic all afternoon, Sangare thundered in to head Barrett’s corner in to the back of the net, sparking glorious celebrations among the City faithful.
It was no less than City deserved. The unbeaten run is now nine games in length and the Minstermen will head to Tamworth on Tuesday full of confidence and in the thick of an early season battle for a play off place.
City may only have gained a point, but the thrilling and justified finale in awkward conditions only helped to restore faith in the beautiful game.
Line-Ups
York City (4-4-2) – Ingham, Purkiss, Sangare, Parslow, Meredith, Smith, Mackin (Carruthers 76), Barrett, Ferrell (Lawless 76), Brodie, Gash (Rankine 23)
Subs Not Used – McGurk, Pacquette
Stevenage (4-4-2) – Day, Brough, Roberts, Bostwick, Laird, Drury (Odhiambo 70), Byrom, Murphy, Cole (Odubade 75), Beardsley (Albrighton 82), Griffin
Subs Not Used – Bayes, Vincenti
Referee – M Naylor (Sheffield)
Yellow Cards – Mackin, Brodie (City) Laird, Griffin, Beardsley, Bostwick (Stevenage)
Man of the Match – Jimmy Sangare
Attendance - 2,644 (137 Stevenage)
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Upcoming fixtures at York City FC
24th August - AFC Barrow - 7.45pm KO
28th August - Altrincham 3pm KO
4th September - Rushden & Diamonds 3pm KO
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