Minstermen condemn Avenue to back-to-back defeats

York City 2-1 Bradford Park Avenue

Goals either side of half-time from Jon Parkin and Amari Morgan-Smith saw off a valiant Avenue despite a stoppage-time strike from Adam Boyes.

Avenue were boosted by the returns of Shane Killock and Nicky Clee to full fitness, and both were recalled to the starting eleven for the club’s first clash with York City since 1969.

It was the visitors that started on the front foot, pressing high up the pitch and looking to force mistakes at every opportunity. Jamie Spencer was the first to direct an effort towards goal, but saw his shot deflected wide.

York, however, grew into the game and caught their first sight of goal when captain Sean Newton’s chipped effort forced Steven Drench to tip the ball over the crossbar.

A marauding run from Aidan Connolly down the left then allowed him to pick out Adriano Moke, who could only find the side-netting with his low-struck effort.

York were beginning to ask questions of Avenue’s defence, but Mark Bower’s side remained very much in the game. Wayne Brooksby saw a speculative drive from distance held by Adam Bartlett, and Clee’s effort from a similar range also came close to nestling in the bottom corner.

The encounter was wide open in the latter stages of the first-half, and both Connolly and Matt Hill nearly opened the scoring for their sides with audacious long-range efforts. Connolly’s in particular looked destined to fly past Drench, and the ‘keeper did extremely well to hold a shot that swerved and dipped.

Avenue were dealt a blow when ever-present defender Mark Ross was forced out of action with a hip problem, but continued to pose a threat going forward. Spencer’s close-range strike was parried by Bartlett, who scurried across to blast the ball out of play before Clee could pounce.

However, Ross’ absence was felt soon after his departure when Connolly threaded through to the lumbering Parkin, who burst through on the left before coolly steering past Drench to give York the lead.

Avenue were keen to overturn the 1-0 deficit after the break, the second-half’s first chance fell to them when Spencer rifled towards goal and skimmed the crossbar with his long-range piledriver.

Vastly-experienced attacking talent Amari Morgan-Smith entered the fray for the hosts early in the second-half, and his introduction saw York regain control of the game. He troubled the Avenue defence with a mazy run that saw him skip past three defenders, before getting in behind minutes later and catching his first glimpse of goal with an over-hit effort.

It was Amari-Smith that eventually doubled York’s advantage, bundling home at the back-post from a teasing cross to settle a few nerves in the crowd.

Avenue responded by piling forward in droves, leading to Brooksby and Johnson having chances to pull one back. Both failed to capitalise, with the latter’s strike taking a series of deflections before going wide.

An injury to Brooksby forced Mark Bower’s hand once again, but Adam Nowakowski’s introduction added energy to a frontline becoming increasingly frustrated by denials at the hands of Bartlett and the woodwork.

Boyes came agonisingly close to netting on his former stamping ground, but his header could only draw another fantastic save from the Minstermen stopper.

Boyes did manage to get on the scoresheet against the club he came through the ranks at, reacting quickest to pounce on a parried Johnson effort, but it proved to be nothing more than a consolation.

Mark Bower confirmed in his post-match interview that Brooksby had tweaked his hamstring, and that the winger could face a spell on the sidelines lasting ‘a couple of weeks at least’. Regarding Mark Ross, he stated that the defender has been suffering from a hip problem for the past few weeks, and that the club ‘will have to see how quickly it settles down’.

Avenue return to the Horsfall Stadium next week, welcoming Gainsborough Trinity.

York City: Bartlett, Law, Ferguson, Bencherif, Burn, Moke, Newton (c), Rowe (Morgan-Smith 52’), Parkin, Correia (Gray 82’), Connolly (Parslow 90+4’)

Unused substitutes: Smith, Simpson.

Booked: Burn, Connolly.

Bradford Park Avenue: Drench, Ross (Vidal 29’), Hill, Wroe (c), Killock, Havern, Brooksby (Nowakowski 68’), Spencer (Boshell 78’), Boyes, Johnson, Clee.

Unused substitutes: Hall, Knight.

Booked: Johnson, Spencer, Boyes, Vidal.

Referee: Simon Mather

 

Match Report

Tom Coates

 

 

 

Avenue slip to 7th after defeat to Moors

A 79th minute strike from the returning Nicky Clee proved to be nothing more than a consolation, as Avenue suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of play-off rivals Spennymoor Town.

Avenue were without ever-present defender Shane Killock after he sustained a back injury on New Years’ Day, with the versatile Adam Nowakowski replacing him in the heart of defence.

The opening stages suffered from a distinct lack of quality all around, but the hosts’ first-half display was poor, even by admittance of manager Mark Bower.

They were punished for a slow start in the 14th minute, when David Foley pounced on a rebound after Mark Anderson had struck the post to edge Spennymoor ahead.

Avenue then squandered a golden opportunity to level proceedings when the ball fell kindly for Oli Johnson in the box. However, the usually clinical forward blasted over from close-range, uncharacteristically of a player who has notched 13 goals already this term.

Moors midfielder Shane Henry looked to test Steven Drench at every opportunity throughout the game, and he saw a left-footed volley fizz barely an inch wide of the post.

Mark Bower’s team talk seemed to rejuvenate Avenue, and the home side emerged a much slicker outfit in the second-half.

Some champagne football allowed Jamie Spencer to dart into the box soon after the restart, before the young midfielder teed up Wayne Brooksby. His floated cross came agonisingly close to meeting the head of an on-rushing Adam Boyes.

As the half progressed, the Yorkshire side began asking more questions of a Moors defence that had been sturdy throughout the encounter. The introduction of Clee seemed to be the spark they needed to begin to take the game to Spennymoor, and the midfielder drew a foul from Matthew Dixon barely five minutes after his arrival by turning the full-back inside out.

Soon after, Clee arrived at the back-post to meet a Vidal cross, only to see his header loop into the grateful clutches of Shane Bland.

Despite seeming the most likely to score, the hosts conceded a second when Chris Mason stooped low to power home a header past a helpless Drench from a whipped delivery.

Avenue began to pile forward in droves after shipping a second, and eventually broke down the Moors backline in similar fashion to how the opposition netted their first. Spencer saw his effort denied, before the ball broke kindly for Clee who made no mistake in steering home.

The hosts continued to knock on the door in the latter stages, with Brooksby and Javan Vidal both rifling shots towards Bland.

However, the visitors held on and left Yorkshire with three points in the bag and their grip on 4th place strengthened

Bradford Park Avenue: Drench, Ross, Hill, Wroe (c) (Vidal 75’), Nowakowski, Havern, Brooksby, Boshell, Boyes (Clee 65’), Johnson, Spencer.
Unused substitutes: Toulson, Hall, Knight.

Spennymoor Town: Bland, Dixon, Mason, Chandler, Chantler, Curtis, Ramshaw, Henry, Taylor, Anderson (Hall 90+4’), Foley (Johnson 73’).
Unused substitutes: Porter, Fewster, Tait.

Attendance: 448

Referee: Garreth Rhodes