Five Things We Learned from York City's 2-0 home defeat to Dagenham

The acquisition of a consistent marksman can often compensate for deficiencies elsewhere in a team or have the capacity to turn an ordinary side into a good one. John Bird’s fortunes as York City manager probably provide the best illustration of the latter argument with his struggling squad in the early 1990s transformed into Wembley play-off winners and eventual conquerors of Manchester United at Old Trafford by his successor John Ward’s addition of Paul Barnes.

Unfortunately, for the modern-day Minstermen, not since the first three months of the 2011/12 double-Wembley winning campaign, when Jason Walker was sensational in front of goal during Gary Mills’ first spell in North Yorkshire, have the club profited from the confidence and hunger of a genuine, out-and-out marksman. A succession of strikers have come and gone since, with ten league goals, achieved by both Wes Fletcher and Ashley Chambers, marking the pitiful high point for City’s top scorers during the ensuing campaigns.

The sight of Richard Brodie blasting in goals during each of his first five starts on a spectacular return to the club, therefore, led to some excitement or, at least, a hope that the club’s perennial grind to find the back of the net might ease a little. But, once Brodie struggled to sustain such form, that understandably threw the spotlight on his fitness levels and poor disciplinary record – two aspects of his game that were never going to endear him to Mills.

Following Brodie’s loan move to Macclesfield, though, the lack of a cutting edge against Dagenham did not provide a solution to the question of who is going to get the goals in his absence. Six out-and-out centre forwards have donned a City shirt this term and, if Brodie’s seven goals are taken out of the equation, the others (Scott Fenwick 1 in 16, Jake Wright 1 in 7, Fraser Murdoch 0 in 2, Robbie McDaid 0 in 2, Reece Thompson 0 in 1) have netted twice in 28 collective appearances for the club.

Vadaine Oliver, meanwhile, remains on loan at Notts County but, anybody with a very short memory, who might be lobbying for his return, should take into account the misfiring 25-year-old’s current strike-rate of one goal in 20 matches. By his own admission, an honest McDaid was disappointed by his failure to take any of the presentable chances that fell to him on Saturday.

The fact that he got in such positions, though, is hopefully cause for future encouragement. Fenwick, meanwhile, didn’t muster a single shot during the hour he was on the pitch and the 90th-minute tap-in against Solihull now represents the only goal he has managed in his last 24 matches, having also netted just twice in 2016.

Almost just as concerning are the City records of the other players, who arrived at Bootham Crescent with attacker as the job title on their CV. Discounting Aidan Connolly’s respectable three goals in a dozen matches, the six other players (Danny Galbraith 1 in 22, Yan Klukwoski 1 in 15, Daniel Nti 1 in 15, Kaine Felix 0 in 14, Callum Rzonca 0 in 7, Justin Johnson 0 in 5) have only hit the target as many times in an combined total of 107 appearances for the club.

Mills’ assertion afterwards that the difference between Saturday’s two teams was Oliver Hawkins, who scored the first goal and set up the second by using his aerial expertise, made it clear that adding striking potency to his inherited squad is looking like one of the biggest challenges of his second coming.

2 Sean Newton’s left foot can cause damage

With the forward’s struggling for sharpness in front of goal, Newton forced Daggers keeper Elliot Justham into his best two saves of the match – the first from a 25-yard piledriver and the second when he was pressed into an emergency striker role. He also created two chances for McDaid – one from a through ball, the other from a teasing left-wing cross.

Having scored against City for former club Wrexham earlier this season, even playing from left back, he has demonstrated that he can be a threat in the attacking third of the pitch and Mills is giving understandable consideration to using him from the start as a makeshift marksman.

3 Adriano Moke will need to work hard to redeem himself in the eyes of Gary Mills

Having been recruited for a third time in his career by Mills during a period where he had fallen out of favour at Boreham Wood, Moke’s petulant 81st-minute dismissal, resulting in a three-match ban, has clearly irritated his City boss, who remains a stickler for discipline. At 26, the time has passed when such actions might be excused by inexperience and Moke now becomes the NINTH player to be ruled out by suspension for the Minstermen this term.

4 Andre Boucaud still has full mastery of a football

He might frustratingly do the majority of his work a considerable distance away from the opposition’s goal, diluting the danger of his considerable skills, but ex-City midfielder Boucaud’s vision, composure in possession and faultless distribution still make the 32-year-old a pleasure to watch at National League level.

5 The “Kids for a Quid” trial proved successful 

An increase of 390 City supporters from the last home fixture against Sutton was recorded following the welcome initiative. Hopefully, similar schemes will be experimented with as City look to bolster attendances at Bootham Crescent.