IT might have taken time, but former Celtic skipper Jackie McNamara seems to have finally got his York City players jumping through hoops for him.

Four points from a possible six, gained courtesy of late goals in both instances, suggest a team spirit and pride for the shirt at Bootham Crescent that has not always been obvious during the Scotsman’s three-month tenure.

But, having swept the deck by offloading unwanted players during the last fortnight, McNamara appears to have found a unity and purpose among the current group, who will be assigned and trusted with the enormous responsibility of keeping this club in the Football League.

The performances of many during the 2-1 triumph against Stevenage suggested that all in the squad now grasp the seriousness of that obligation while Danny Galbraith’s ability to create something out of nothing has, over the last two matches, meant the difference between the Minstermen lying six points from safety at the bottom of the Football League, instead of a less intimidating three.

A week after climbing off the bench to set up Luke Summerfield’s 88th-minute equaliser at Carlisle with a spectacular 25-yard strike that rattled the post, Galbraith was thrown on again by McNamara and, deep into stoppage time, collected the ball just inside the Stevenage half, spun past Keith Keane, left the on-loan Cambridge midfielder trailing in his wake and, just before he reached the edge of the penalty box, beat visiting keeper Chris Day with a low shot off the inside of his right-hand post.

In doing so, the 25-year-old attacker, once signed by Manchester United for £50,000, ended a 66-game and six-year long wait since his last goal in English and Scottish football when he grabbed a 90th-minute winner for Hibernian at Celtic after being hailed on as a substitute.

His strike also condemned a much more celebrated former Red Devil, who appreciates the importance of late goals all too well, to an eighth game without a victory, throwing greater scrutiny on Champions League winner Teddy Sheringham’s Stevenage stewardship.

Talismanic centre-back Dave Winfield, meanwhile, deserves great recognition too for the heroic goal-line clearance that denied Aaron O’Connor during injury time, paving the way for Galbraith to grab maximum points moments later.

Since returning to the side in mid-December, Winfield has marshalled a back four that had shipped 11 times in the previous two fixtures and restricted the opposition to a single goal in each of the last six matches.

That statistic, although a clear improvement, is a frustration in itself, given the five-month run without a clean sheet in the league, but the next shut-out surely cannot be far away if the Minstermen continue to show the type of defensive resilience, personified by Winfield and also adopted by fellow back-four members Luke Hendrie, Kyle Cameron and Femi Ilesanmi.

Had keeper Scott Flinders not been deceived by the flight of Keane’s 30-yard equaliser for the visitors that long wait might have been over but, instead, the Minstermen’s next challenge is to become the first League Two side in 24 matches to keep next weekend’s hosts - top-of-the-table Northampton – off the scoresheet.

Keane’s hopeful 78th-minute pot-shot cancelled out Kenny McEvoy’s first-half goal for the hosts.

The ex-Spurs winger, who was employed closer to Vadaine Oliver in a more central role, netted on 15 minutes after Stevenage had failed to threaten with early half-chances for Deimantas Petravicius and Tom Pett.

It was scored following a blistering counter-attack from the hosts as they broke from a third successive Stevenage corner.

Luke Summerfield started the move by picking up a loose ball just outside the penalty box and swiftly finding Michael Coulson on the left flank.

In turn, Coulson waited for the precise moment to send McEvoy haring through the middle of the pitch with a perfectly-weighted pass and he displayed nerveless composure to shoot past Day from 12 yards. Shortly afterwards, Oliver went close with his head from a left-wing Ilesanmi centre while, at the other end, O’Connor scuffed a deflected effort wide from inside the six-yard box after Winfield was uncharacteristically troubled by Connor Ogilvie’s long throw.

Coulson went on to play Oliver in for an angled drive that Day did well to save with his feet as City took a half-time lead into the home dressing room for only the second time in a league game this season – the other occasion also resulted in a 2-1 triumph over Morecambe.

Stevenage made a more promising start to the second period, though, with substitute Dean Parrett shooting over from 20 yards and O’Connor forcing a smart near-post save by Flinders from closer in.

Fraser Franks also prodded wide from the resulting corner before Couslon forced a low right-wing McEvoy cross over the line, only for his effort to be chalked off with referee Jeremy Simpson detecting a foul on Day.

Stevenage, without really threatening, then began to enjoy more possession in midfield, leading to Keane trying his luck with the long-distance attempt that caught out Flinders.

Pett also shot inches wide from the edge of the penalty box, while Oliver’s diving header beat Day on 84 minutes after Winfield had won Galbraith’s free kick to the far post, only for the goal to be chalked off for offside in another contentious decision.

With 90 minutes up, O’Connor troubled Winfield with a twisting run and lifted a deft effort over an advancing Flinders, only for the City centre back to recover and wrap his right boot around the ball just as it was about to cross the line.

The stage was then set for Galbraith to settle matters on 93 minutes as City set a benchmark that must now be met in every game during the final three months of a turbulent season.

City

Scott Flinders: 6 – angry reaction suggested he knew he should have done better with Keane equaliser

Luke Hendrie: 8 – defended with a real determination not to let his opponent past him

STAR MAN Dave Winfield: 8 – terrific goal-line clearance proved game’s pivotal moment

Kyle Cameron: 8 – gave another solid display and used the ball well playing out from the back

Femi Ilesanmi: 8 – refused to be beaten by his winger and chose his moments to go on the attack

Russell Penn: 7 – missed the odd tackle but put in a busy shift for the team

Matty Dixon: 7 – happy to receive the ball and distribute with composure

Luke Summerfield: 7 – turned defence into attack for City’s opening goal

Michael Coulson: 8 – probed and roamed to good effect before tiring a little late on

Kenny McEvoy: 8 – displayed terrific pace on counter attack and a calmness in front of goal

Vadaine Oliver: 8 – competed well throughout and unlucky not to get on scoresheet

Substitutes: Ntumba Massanka (for McEvoy, 72), Danny Galbraith (for Summerfield, 78).

Subs not used: James Berrett, Lubo Satka, Josh Carson, Michael Ingham, Bradley Fewster.

 

Stevenage

Chris Day, Fraser Franks, Dean Wells, Luke Wilkinson, Connor Ogilvie, Deimantas Petravicius (Dean Parrett, 46), Keith Keane, Michael Tonge (Lee Cox, 21), Tom Pett, Charlie Lee, Aaron O’Connor. Subs not used: Jamie Jones, Rohdell Gordon, Dipo Akinyemi, Ryan Johnson, Dale Gorman.

Stevenage star man: Pett – well shackled but always looked capable of causing danger

Referee: Jeremy Simpson rating: 5/10 – not always in tune with his fellow officials  

Booked: None.

Attendance: 2,951 (202 from Stevenage)

 

Shots on target: City 3, Stevenage 5

Shots off target: City 1, Stevenage 5

Corners: City 2, Stevenage 7

Fouls conceded: City 12, Stevenage 11

Offsides: City 5, Stevenage 3