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By Max Benson
They did it the hard way, but the Minstermen have equalled a club record of eight successive wins 54 years after the ‘Happy Wanderers’ side first achieved the feat.
Richard Brodie also became the fastest York City player to reach 20 goals in a season with his header in the second half.
Chris Carruthers had earlier capped a fine team move with a back post header but Dean Saunders’ side pulled one back just a minute after Brodie’s record-breaker to make for a nervy finale.
Brodie looked as sharp as ever after receiving his Blue Square Player of the Month award and was immediately causing problems for Mike Williams down the City right, cutting inside before scuffing a shot under a desperate challenge from the Wrexham left back.
It was just a warning of what was to come as the Minstermen struck with a superb goal in just the sixth minute.
Ironically it was three Welshmen who combined in the early stages of the move. Daniel Parslow found Alex Lawless who exchanged passes with Levi Mackin before playing in Michael Rankine down the right. He surged for the by line and sent a looping cross to the far post where Carruthers was left unmarked to head home.
It was proving to be an good quality contest early on with both sides looking to play attractive, passing football. Makeshift left midfielder Neil Taylor looked technically able, if a little hesitant to take on City’s own part time right back Parslow.
Experienced forward Gareth Taylor couldn’t take advantage of his side’s first meaningful opportunity on 25 minutes. He latched onto a bobbling ball in the middle of the box but had his poked shot deflected behind.
Never mind his size and shape, Rankine was putting forward a strong case for a slot on the right wing. His second dangerous cross half an hour in had the visitors’ back line panicking again with Mansour Assoumani the man stretching to clear this time.
Carruthers came close to making it two ten minutes before the break. After Rankine had been flattened by Assoumani, the on-loan Oxford winger drove his low shot from the free kick narrowly wide of the left hand post.
On deciding that attractive football wouldn’t work, the visitors opted for a more uncompromising physical approach. Rankine bore the brunt of it but it was Lamine Sakho’s reckless challenge on David McGurk that earned the first yellow card of the afternoon.
The excellent McGurk prevented a probable equaliser moments later with an exceptional last ditch tackle on an advancing Sakho.
Aging centre back Frank Sinclair was next in the referee Wright’s notebook just before half time after a cynical and petulant foul on Brodie in the middle of the field.
Gareth Taylor had the ball in the net for Wrexham just after half time, but the linesman’s flag had long since gone up by the time he headed in a cross from the left.
Lawless was linking up play well, intelligently drifting in from his designated right wing berth and at one stage even found himself at left back. It was from a central position, though, that he nearly played in Brodie, who couldn’t shrug off his man and shot just wide with his weaker right foot.
Sakho, who had just blazed embarrassingly wide, had a much better strike just after the hour mark. He met Wes Baynes’ free kick first time but his instinctive volley was straight at Michael Ingham.
A Rankine effort soon followed at the other end. Lawless did excellently to win the ball back on the right before drilling a flat cross in that Rankine could only head over under the physical challenge of both Assoumani and Sinclair.
Ingham then excelled himself in the City goal. A wicked strike from Baynes was met with an outstanding fingertip save from the Northern Irishman to keep the Minstermen ahead.
It had been a largely defensive operation for the Minstermen for much of the second half, but that’s when really good strikers pop up with important goals.
Brodie was the instigator as his square ball fell to Lawless in a ridiculous amount of space 30 yards from goal. His shot was well saved by Chris Maxwell, but the rebound came straight to Brodie who nodded home to surpass Arthur Bottom’s longstanding goal scoring record.
But it was only a minute before the nerves returned. Curtis Obeng charged down the right and centred low into the area where Andy Fleming couldn’t miss, flicking the ball past a helpless Ingham from close range.
By this point it was the anguished cries of the Archbishop of York that rose above the rest of the impressive crowd of over 3,000, most of whom were presumably setting about destroying their fingernails.
But the Minstermen held firm. The defence again impressed to keep late drama to a minimum and City can now look forward to a fortnight away from league action seven points inside the play offs.
Line-Ups
York City (4-4-2) – Ingham, Purkiss, McGurk, Parslow, Meredith, Lawless, Barrett, Mackin, Carruthers, Brodie, Rankine (Gash 79)
Subs Not Used – Smith, Ferrell, Mimms, Gall
Wrexham (4-4-2) – Maxwell, Obeng, Assoumani, Sinclair, Mike Williams, Baynes, Fleming, Fairhurst, Neil Taylor (Cieslewicz 71), Sakho (Wolfenden 83), Gareth Taylor
Subs Not Used – Russell, Jones, Marc Williams
Referee – Peter Wright (Southport)
Yellow Cards – Brodie (York City) Sakho, Sinclair (Wrexham)
Man of the Match – Alex Lawless
Attendance – 3,006 (249 Wrexham)
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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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