Brackley 2 York City 0 report, match stats and player ratings

Such is Gray’s contempt for the efforts of some individuals this term that, had he asked them to fight on the beaches, he’d have expected them to get sand kicked in their faces.

Indeed, in Northamptonshire, the team fired blanks for a fifth game during their sickening six-fixture run-in, forcing Gray to call on his heavy artillery after home midfielder James Armson had scored the first of two match-winning goals.

Within minutes of his 53rd-minute introduction, powerhouse striker Jon Parkin, making his first appearance in five weeks after undergoing knee surgery, had managed what no other player could throughout the contest when he registered an on-target effort on goal.

His header also beat Saints keeper Danny Lewis, but Parkin’s equaliser was mysteriously disallowed and Armson capitalised on characteristically sloppy City defending to wrap up the points with 10 minutes left to play.

Parkin had only been included on the bench when more unlikely favourable midweek results meant the Minstermen still retained a slight hope of snatching National League North’s final play-off spot going into the weekend programme.

Almost inconceivably, at half-time, three further improbably advantageous scorelines would have seen the visitors sitting in that seventh place had Sean Newton taken the best opportunity of the opening 45 minutes.

Recoveries from Bradford Park Avenue and Spennymoor would eventually render events at Brackley irrelevant, but that did not mask the reality that, had City been handed yet another lifeline, they would not have summoned up the fortitude to take it.

That is a sad indictment on this season’s side, who were facing an over-achieving, part-time club already guaranteed to finish third, with the looming play-offs and FA Trophy final at Wembley making this fixture the most lifeless dead rubber imaginable for the hosts.

Nevertheless, Kevin Wilkin’s men won the afternoon’s first corner of the match with less than a minute on the clock, as Alex Gudger headed off target from Shane Byrne’s delivery to the far post.

Moments later, Connor Franklin’s low cross from the left was turned towards goal by 35-goal forward Aaron Williams and, after Adam Bartlett parried out, Hamza Bencherif used his body to ensure Armson could not pounce on the rebound.

City should have forged in front, though, on 13 minutes when Connor Brown was released by Connor Smith down the right and sent in a centre that picked out Newton for a free shot at goal from 12 yards out.

But the captain’s first-time effort didn’t even test a vulnerable Lewis, flying wide of his right-hand post.

At the other end, Glenn Walker found the sidenetting from a difficult angle and also saw a deflected shot miss the target, while the half’s action finished when Armson steered an edge-of-the-box effort over after Adriano Moke had been beaten too easily through the right channel.

Armson was more clinical, though, when presented with another opportunity seven minutes after the restart.

Receiving a Williams lay-off, his 15-yard drive found Bartlett’s bottom-right corner, despite the City keeper getting a hand to his strike.

Moments later, the ex-Darlington net-minder was nowhere near getting a glove on Armson’s next attempt that cannoned back into play off Bartlett’s right-hand post.

Parkin responded in the most elementary of fashions to make a mockery of City’s travails in front of goal without him.

Watching Bencherif’s long ball into the penalty box all the way, Parkin placed himself in the most opportune position to plant a firm header past Lewis.

The subsequent decision to disallow his effort baffled most in the ground and, after Williams’ weak volley failed to extend Bartlett, Armson compounded the frustration by putting the outcome beyond doubt.

He curled the ball into Bartlett’s bottom-right corner from just inside the penalty area after Lee Ndlovu had gone past Dan Parslow through the left channel and Bencherif had failed to make a meaningful challenge for the ball.

The latter also headed well wide from Josh Law’s corner, while Bartlett had to claw away sub Joe Iaciofano’s right-wing cross that threatened to drop under his own crossbar as City’s sorry season ended with a whimper.

City ratings

Adam Bartlett 5

Connor Brown 6

Dan Parslow 5

Hamza Bencherif 5

David Ferguson 5

Connor Smith 5

Josh Law 5

Clovis Kamdjo 5

Adriano Moke 5

Sean Newton 5

Alex Kempster 5

Substitutes: Jon Parkin 6 (for Kamdjo, 53), Vinnie Steels 6 (for Kempster, 66), James Gray (for Smith, 74).

Subs not used: Jonny Burn, Luke Simpson.

Star man: Brown – stuck to his task against a purposeful Glenn Walker

Brackley: Danny Lewis, Matt Lowe (Ellis Myles, 84), Alex Gudger, Gareth Dean, Connor Franklin, Glenn Walker (Luke Graham, 89), Shane Byrne, James Armson, Adam Walker, Aaron Williams, Lee Ndlovu (Joe Iaciofano, 82). Subs not used: Andy Brown, Shepherd Murombezi.

Brackley star man: Armson – got his reward for willingness and ability to shoot on sight

Referee: James Oldham: 5/10 – Parkin decision looked an error

Booked: Ferguson 84

Sent off: None

Attendance: 670

Shots on target: Brackley 5, City 0

Shots off target: Brackley 4, City 2

Corners: Brackley 9, City 3

Fouls conceded: Brackley 13, City 14

Offside: Brackley 1, City 2