NEW boss Jackie McNamara has reportedly arrived at York City with a steely determination to win football matches.

Following a 3-2 FA Cup exit at Accrington Stanley during his first game in charge, he is now fully aware of the need to iron out the defensive deficiencies that have dogged the team all season if he is to achieve that goal.

Only keeper Scott Flinders – currently a runaway Player of the Year candidate – has consistently shown the required mettle to keep the opposition off the scoresheet this term and, if it wasn’t for his smart reflexes, the Minstermen might have been on the receiving end of an embarrassing rout against buoyant Stanley.

But Flinders was left hopelessly exposed for Sean McConville and Matt Crooks’ first-half goals, either side of a Vadaine Oliver equaliser.

A calamitous Femi Ilesanmi blunder then allowed the impressive Josh Windass to coolly beat Flinders from the penalty spot, meaning Michael Coulson’s stoppage-time header served as a mere consolation.

It was a familiar story for a Minstermen team who would have needed to score four goals in five of their 20 games this term to clinch victory.

The defeat also represented the sixth occasion that City have managed to net twice in a game and still failed to secure the spoils at the end of 90 minutes or extra-time.

At Accrington, McConville and Crooks were given the freedom of City’s right channel to get on the scoresheet, whilst Ilesanmi dallied before giving the ball away to Billy Kee in his own penalty box and, then, inexplicably compounded that error by pushing the home striker over.

Further Marvin McCoy and Ilesanmi mistakes might have been punished too but for Flinders’ heroics.

McNamara must now quickly weigh up whether Ilesanmi’s propensity to lose focus and drop the occasional clanger – which generally proves more costly in the middle of defence than it does in his more familiar left-back role – is preferable to the lack of pace that might cause greater problems if he is used elsewhere on the pitch or taken out of the firing line altogether.

City had earlier started the game in positive fashion, moving the ball around quickly on a slick surface that bordered on water-logged in certain areas, especially following a second-half Lancashire monsoon.

But Emile Sinclair’s edge-of-the-box volley and Bryn Morris’ header lacked the power or direction to trouble ex-City keeper Jason Mooney in the home goal.

At the other end, left-back Matty Pearson’s 30-yard drive whistled over, while Windass was a regular threat from the edge of the penalty box and Flinders reacted swiftly to smother McConville’s shot after McCoy’s misjudgement gifted the Stanley winger a free run on the visitors’ goal.

Oliver, meanwhile, menaced for the Minstermen, forcing Mooney into a low save to his right from 20 yards and then heading over from close range after Coulson had retrieved the ball from the left wing.

With the game swinging from one end to the other, there was a massive onus on both defences to remain alert but City fell behind on 29 minutes when play was switched from right to left far too easily by the hosts, as Piero Mingoia and Windass combined to tee up a chance for McConville that he curled emphatically in off Flinders’ left-hand post from 12 yards.

The scores were level again, though, four minutes later when a chase for the ball down Accrington’s right between on-loan Middlesbrough adversaries Morris and Brad Halliday saw the borrowed City man come out on top.

His centre then picked out Oliver and his six-yard shot crossed the line despite the attempts of Mooney and defender Tom Davies to keep the ball out.

But, for the third time in five games, City conceded within five minutes of finding the net.

On this occasion, it only took two minutes as Crooks carried the ball unchallenged through the right channel of the visitors’ defence before confidently finding Flinders’ bottom-left corner.

Ex-City loan defender Halliday went on to drive narrowly wide from 30 yards before the break.

Keith Lowe did not re-emerge for the second period and his half-time substitution during ex-Wolves team-mate McNamara’s first game in charge, following his dropping during the final throes of Russ Wilcox’s reign, illustrates how the two-time Press Player of the Year’s stock has surprisingly plummeted at Bootham Crescent this term.

The biggest defensive mishap was then made in Lowe’s absence and Ilesanmi’s carelessness could not have been punished more stylishly by Windass.

The promising 21-year-old, who started his senior career at City’s non-League neighbours Harrogate Railway, claimed his ninth goal of the season with a Panenka penalty, deftly chipping down the middle as Flinders dived to his right.

Flinders was equal to a stinging 15-yard Mingoia shot, though, moments later following substitute Dave Winfield’s stray clearance and, after Sinclair had dragged disappointingly wide for City, the ex-Hartlepool keeper reacted brilliantly again to keep out Windass’ viciously-struck free kick, awarded when Ilesanmi had tripped Crooks centimetres outside the box as the home midfielder embarked on another powerful forward burst.

A great run by Halliday also finished in a fierce shot across the face of City’s goal before substitute Jake Hyde found the sidenetting from a tight angle at the other end, Coulson tested Mooney from the edge of the box and Morris cleared the crossbar from 25 yards.

There were further chances for Crooks, Halliday and McConville but Mooney went on to pull off a great save to keep out Oliver’s far-post header after a raid down the right by Rhys Turner.

The 6ft 9in Irishman was beaten, though, in the 92nd minute, misjudging Turner’s right-footed, inswinging cross from the left, allowing Coulson to head in at the far post.

But it was too late to prevent the visitors from suffering a third straight defeat for the first time since September 2013.

Accrington, meanwhile, have now won eight of their last 11 fixtures despite playing in front of the Football League’s lowest crowds, highlighting John Coleman’s transfer market acumen over the summer.

Recruitment nous will, hopefully, have been uppermost in the criteria for appointing McNamara as it remains clear that surgery needs to be applied to his inherited squad – ideally straight away in the loan market but, if not, during the January transfer window.

City

STAR MAN Scott Flinders: 8 – made a hat-trick of top-class saves to keep score respectable

Marvin McCoy: 5 – went missing at times defensively and first-half error could have led to a goal

Keith Lowe: 5 – could not nullify Accrington threat through left channel

Femi Ilesanmi: 5 – swept up well in first half but undid all his good work with penalty blunder

Eddie Nolan: 7 – contained Mingoia for long periods and kept his discipline

Michael Collins: 7 – retained possession skilfully and anchored behind teenage team-mates

Ben Godfrey: 6 – willing throughout but tough challenge against Crooks

Bryn Morris: 7 – played positively and with energy, along with teeing Oliver up for his goal

Emile Sinclair: 5 – saw a fair amount of ball but struggled with his final product

Vadaine Oliver: 7 – currently looks capable of scoring more than once in every game

Michael Coulson: 7 – worked diligently and showed good control with his late header

Substitutes: Dave Winfield 6 - sturdy (for Lowe, 46), Jake Hyde 6 - bright (for Sinclair, 59), Rhys Turner (for Godfrey, 76).

Subs not used: Michael Ingham, Anthony Straker, David Tutonda, George Swan.

Accrington

Jason Mooney, Brad Halliday, Tom Davies, Joe Wright, Matty Pearson, Piero Mingoia, Matt Crooks, Seamus Conneely, Sean McConville, Josh Windass (Terry Gornell, 88), Billy Kee. Subs not used: Ross Etheridge, Andy Procter, Antony Barry, Shay McCartan, Keenan Quansah, Liam Wakefield.

Accrington star man: Windass – found space effortlessly and showed class from penalty spot

Referee: Frederick Graham rating: 8/10 – made sensible decisions on a difficult playing surface

Booked: Oliver 26, Ilesanmi 61, Kee 73, Winfield 73.

Attendance: 1,475 (521 from City)

Shots on target: Accrington 8, City 7

Shots off target: Accrington 10, City 6

Corners: Accrington 5, City 5

Fouls conceded: Accrington 7, City 12

Offsides: Accrington 2, City 1