York City show they have heart on Valentine's weekend

Prior to their 2-1 triumph over Notts County, the Minstermen had been rooted to the bottom of the Football League for six long weeks.

But Jackie McNamara’s men leapfrogged over Dagenham & Redbridge following the club’s first back-to-back home wins since last April and will now climb out of the relegation zone with another victory when Exeter are the next visitors on Tuesday night.

Having taken nine points from a possible 12 on their own soil, the hosts will approach that contest with a new-found and justified optimism in front of a vocally strong crowd who, for the first time, sung the praises of McNamara with a new personalised chant.

Against a County team, featuring ex-Premier League players and full internationals, City displayed great defensive tenacity to emerge unscathed from an opening 20 minutes that the visitors dominated.

But Michael Coulson’s exquisite lob over former Manchester United and Northern Ireland keeper Roy Carroll midway through the half gave the hosts an injection of confidence that could have resulted in a couple more goals before Bradley Fewster applied the finishing touch to a terrific team move to double the advantage before half-time.

After the break, the Minstermen were not as fluent in their attacking vigour and Lubo Satka’s bizarre own goal meant the closing stages were, by no means, comfortable.

Nevertheless, the home side held out despite a barrage of County corners with 18 having been forced by Jamie Fullarton’s team by the final whistle. Earlier, following a tame Izale McLeod header and free kicks that sailed over from Liam Noble and Jon Stead, the latter saw a deft chip from close to the byline bounce off the top of Scott Flinders’ crossbar on 17 minutes.

McLeod’s follow-up attempt was then blocked by City skipper Russell Penn and, moments later, Flinders made a smart reflex save to keep out Alan Smith’s firm header from a Noble corner.

Proactive chief McNamara, meanwhile, quickly dispensed with his 4-2-3-1 formation and provided more central attacking support for Fewster by pushing Kenny McEvoy further forward, giving the visitors’ ponderous central defenders two pacy opponents to keep them occupied.

It was Coulson, though, who breached that back line first to claim his sixth goal of the season.

During City’s first attack of the match, Coulson ghosted through on goal in the left channel on 24 minutes after Kyle Cameron’s long clearance sailed over the head of a flat-footed Gary MacKenzie.

Carroll initially decided to charge out of his goal before changing his mind but, as he scrambled back to his line, Coulson lifted a perfectly-measured 15 yard effort over him with the outside of his right boot and the tide of the game immediately turned.

Shortly afterwards, a Coulson free kick was well gathered by Carroll, while McEvoy also went close from distance before showing great persistence to win back possession from Blair Adams and send in a low cross that Fewster could only divert wide.

The pair combined in similar fashion on 39 minutes at the end of a fantastic flowing move to double the Minstermen’s advantage.

This time, Penn’s clever reverse pass, after good combination play between Satka and Coulson, sent McEvoy haring towards the byline and the poaching Fewster, demonstrating a genuine desire to get himself into scoring positions, bundled the ball in from a couple of yards.

Stead, meanwhile, remained the visitors’ biggest threat either side of the break, ending the first half with a 30-yard drive that he aimed straight at Flinders and a header that he flicked over from Jason Banton’s left-wing cross, before starting the second with a smart shot on the turn from the edge of the box that whistled just wide and an overhead kick which narrowly missed the target.

McLeod also headed over but, despite the pair boasting 273 career goals between them, it was Satka on his full professional debut that reduced the deficit for County.

After Noble sent in a cross from the right, the on-loan Newcastle centre half, playing out of position at full back, appeared to lose his bearings and headed over a helpless Flinders, who was denied his first clean sheet in the league since September.

But County’s efforts to capitalise on the Slovakian under-21 international’s mishap were unconvincing.

Noble had a couple of long-range strikes – the first forcing a scramble save from Flinders and the second spinning wide of the City keeper’s left-hand upright after taking a deflection.

Winger Banton also almost uprooted a corner flag from 15 yards, while the Minstermen had opportunities to add to the scoreline too.

Danny Galbraith curled over a free kick after apparent last man Haydn Hollis had been fortunate to escape with just a yellow card for dragging McEvoy down.

Substitute Jake Hyde then shot wide from 20 yards and Galbraith blasted off target in stoppage time before victory was confirmed seconds later.

City

Scott Flinders: 7 – fine early save from Smith followed by a few anxious moments

Lubo Satka: 7 – didn’t always look at ease as a right back, leading to own goal

Dave Winfield: 8 – made his blocks and cleared his lines during another strong display

Kyle Cameron: 7 – positionally good throughout and team survived his one mistake

Femi Ilesanmi: 8 – proved a defiant adversary for talented Noble throughout

Russell Penn: 8 – looked more comfortable following return to central role

Luke Summerfield: 7 – positive but tried a few things that didn’t quite come off for himself or the team

Kenny McEvoy 8 – a real menace with his pace, direct running and balls into the box

Danny Galbraith: 7 – not the attacking threat he has been but got around the pitch well to help defensively

STAR MAN Michael Coulson: 8 – terrific opening goal that proved catalyst for first-half improvement

Bradley Fewster: 8 – eager all afternoon and carried the game to opposition

Substitutes: Matty Dixon 7 – industrious (for Summerfield, 67), Jake Hyde (for McEvoy, 76), Reece Thompson (for Fewster, 82).

Subs not used: Josh Carson, Michael Ingham, James Berrett, Derek Riordan.

Notts County

Roy Carroll, Elliott Hewitt, Haydn Hollis, Gary McKenzie, Blair Adams, Jason Banton, Alan Smith, Curtis Thompson, Liam Noble, Jon Stead, Izale McLeod (Adam Campbell, 85).

Subs not used: Ronan Murray, Scott Loach, Rhys Sharpe, Graham Burke, Wes Atkinson, Thierry Audel.

Notts County star man: Stead – showed his class and a goal threat throughout

Referee: Mark Heywood rating: 7/10 – kept on top of most things

Booked: MacKenzie 28, Coulson 50, McLeod 66, Hollis 74

Attendance: 3,811 (980 from Notts County)

Shots on target: City 3, Notts County 6

Shots off target: City 5, Notts County 7

Corners: City 2, Notts County 18

Fouls conceded: City 10, Notts County 16

Offsides: City 1, Notts County 2