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Match Report: Hinckley United 0-0 York City |
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By Max Benson
The Minstermen and Hinckley will have to do it all again this Tuesday night at Bootham Crescent after a goalless draw in Leicestershire.
A game based on two solid defences made for a frustrating afternoon for City, who failed to find the net for the first time in thirteen games despite creating more of the few chances on offer.
As expected, Martin Foyle made several changes to his side with Adam Smith, Andy Ferrell and Michael Gash starting as Chris Carruthers and Richard Brodie dropped to the bench while Neil Barrett was excluded from the squad completely.
The home side, who ply their trade a division below the Minstermen, didn’t look out of place in the contest early on and centre back Lee Collins was the first man from either side to have a go at goal, rising to head wide after meeting a corner from the right.
Ferrell almost unlocked the Knitters defence in the tenth minute but his pinpoint cross from the left after a good run was headed wide by the unmarked Gash who would have expected himself to score.
Smith was struggling to get involved from his wide position with play being largely dominated by long balls through the middle. He did force City’s first corner of the afternoon, though, in the 20th minute when his cross was blocked behind after a jinking run down the right.
Ten minutes later it was Smith again who surged down the right and this time delivered a cross to the far post that neither Gash nor Michael Rankine could connect properly with before ‘keeper Chris MacKenzie gathered.
By now in the thick of the action, albeit temporarily, Smith received a deserved yellow card from referee Fletcher after a late challenge on Hinckley captain Richard Lavery.
Gash was nearly set free in first half stoppage time but had his heels clipped by Collins on the halfway line. It was hard to tell whether the foul was clumsy or deliberate but Collins arguably saved his team from going a goal down after denying Gash a clear run at goal.
After the break it was Gash again giving the home defence problems. A driving run from halfway was a glimpse of the £55,000 summer signing at his fully fit best, but his flashing shot from 25 yards flew just wide of the right hand post.
Sam Smith, on loan at the Greene King Stadium from Rushden & Diamonds, then shot wastefully wide from a good position with the better-placed Matt West screaming for a sideways pass on the edge of the box.
The tempo was lifted in the final quarter of an hour with City in particular anxious to avoid a replay. Brodie, Carruthers and Kevin Gall were all introduced as the Minstermen stepped up their unsuccessful search for a record-breaking ninth win in a row.
And it was no surprise that Brodie caused the greater problems for the Knitters in the latter stages. The 20-goal top scorer forced optimistic penalty claims after holding the ball up well in the box before beating his man and shooting wide ten minutes from time.
But it was the home side who really should have won the game five minutes from time. Andy Hall had only Michael Ingham to beat after finding space down the inside right but made the bizarre decision to attempt a pass to his left, and in doing so wasting the best chance of the match.
Hall was almost punished for his profligacy with the last kick of the game. A Lawless cross from the left was nodded towards goal by Luke Graham only for the alert MacKenzie to pull off a diving save to earn his side a replay.
Line-Ups
York City (4-4-2) – Ingham, Parslow, McGurk, Graham, Meredith, Smith (Gall 65), Lawless, Mackin, Ferrell (Carruthers 81), Gash, Rankine (Brodie 70)
Subs Not Used – Purkiss, Mimms
Hinckley United (4-4-2) – MacKenzie, Cartwright, Lister, Collins, Franklin, Hall, Gooding, Lavery, Taylor, West (Dillon 81), Smith
Subs Not Used – Mace, Hamilton, Young, Newton
Referee – Russell Fletcher (Melbourne)
Yellow Cards – Smith (York City) Lavery, Collins (Hinckley United)
Man of the Match – Luke Graham
Attendance - 506
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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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