Woeful York City put to the sword by AFC Wimbledon

GARY MILLS is keeping the lid on his shaving foam during Movember and his York City players were far from razor sharp on Saturday.

During a performance as pitiful as the ten-day growth on certain City players’ upper lips, the Minstermen were as charitable to their opponents AFC Wimbledon at the weekend as they will be to Prostate Cancer UK once their moustaches achieve their hirsute pinnacle by the end of the month.

The Wombles won 3-0 and could easily have finished 5-0 victors with Michael Ingham making an unlikely point-blank save to deny Yado Mambo and substitute Charlie Strutton somehow contriving to clear the home crossbar with a downward header six yards from goal.

With Matty Blair, Chris Smith, Lanre Oyebanjo, Jamal Fyfield and Scott Kerr all guilty of losing possession in dangerous positions early on, the Minstermen never shrugged off those sloppy standards during a shockingly sluggish display.

Smith, imperious for the majority of the club’s first season back in the Football League, looked particularly out of sorts with a level of hesitancy not normally associated with the City skipper, culminating in his conceding of a penalty for the visitors’ final goal on 84 minutes.

But he was not alone in falling way short of his best form.

Vice-captain Kerr struggled to provide midfield inspiration and cajole those around him in his usual manner, while Ashley Chambers and debutant Alex Rodman were almost anonymous on the flanks.

On-loan Peterborough midfielder Danny Kearns attacked the byline more than both players even if his final ball, once there, let him down at times.

Blair, meanwhile, offered little attacking threat after being restored to an advanced midfield position and, while lone central striker Jason Walker did his best to hold the ball up and link up play, his endeavours were not assisted by team-mates repeatedly asking him to compete aerially with mountainous Dons centre-backs Mambo and Will Antwi prior to his 65th-minute substitution.

Replacements Jamie Reed and Jon Challinor could not lift the team either although Oli Johnson, also hailed from the bench, did offer some positive moments that suggested he might now deserve a second start in City colours given his team’s return of just two goals in four matches.

In fact, from the last ten games, City have failed to score in half of those fixtures and managed to net just once in another four.

During their latest meeting with the Dons, Mills’ team managed just two first-half shots – both edge of the box Walker efforts that missed the target.

More than half an hour had elapsed before Walker’s first attempt and the hosts would only force two routine saves from Wimbledon ’keeper Seb Brown all afternoon.

The visitors, meanwhile, called Ingham into action after just five minutes with the City shot stopper pushing away a 30-yard Jack Midson shot after Kerr had given the ball away.

Jake Reeves also fired wide from a similar distance and Byron Harrison glanced a header across the face of Ingham’s goal from George Francomb’s corner.

After Walker’s two chances, both aimed wide of Brown’s net, Midson then failed to test Ingham with a nonchalant 25-yard attempt on the stroke of half-time.

The second period did not herald an improvement in the hosts with Stacy Long volleying wide from 20 yards within two minutes of the restart.

For the Minstermen, Blair’s hooked shot was caught comfortably by Brown after Clarke Carlisle had helped on an Oyebanjo long throw before the visitors forged in front on 54 minutes.

Mambo outjumped Blair close to the halfway line to win a towering header from Ingham’s clearance.

The ball then bounced straight through to Harrison, who managed to prod the ball past an advancing Ingham with the covering Chambers unable to prevent it crossing the line.

City’s attempts at an equaliser saw Kearns head tamely wide, Oyebanjo snatch at two opportunities and Blair produce a powder-puff ten-yard shot that was never going to trouble Brown.

The visitors were more threatening when Ingham reacted quickly to throw himself in front of a Mambo effort after the ball had fallen to the Dons defender inside City’s six-yard box.

Strutton then headed over from Francomb’s right-wing cross when it was easier to score.

But, after Smith’s weak header from Kerr’s cross was easily saved by Brown, Neil Ardley’s men doubled their lead on 80 minutes.

Strutton went past Oyebanjo on the left flank and Challinor then failed to prevent his low cross from reaching Long who, from 15 yards out, placed a daisy cutter inside Ingham’s right-hand post.

Ragged City fell further behind when Strutton ghosted in front of Smith to run on to a hopeful ball through the right channel and had his heels clipped by the home skipper.

Midson sidefooted the subsequent penalty to Ingham’s left as the former Northern Ireland international dived in the opposite direction.

On 87 minutes, Reed went on to squander a consolation opportunity when he fired woefully wide from ten yards and some home fans voiced their discontent at the final whistle.

Few City players, maybe Kearns aside, could defend their performance levels.

Fortunately, those same supporters, the management staff and, most importantly the players themselves, know this team is capable of so much better as they have proven countless times in the past.

A six-game unbeaten run might have suddenly become four matches without a win following one result but Mills’ side have only suffered back-to-back defeats once in the last 14 months and must now show their mettle in this evening’s FA Cup replay at their weekend tormentors.

City ratings

Ingham 5 - great save from Mambo but might have done better for first two goals

Oyebanjo 5 - failed to stop cross for second goal and lacked composure going forward

Carlisle 5 - probably City’s best defender on the day, but that accolade counted for little on Saturday

C Smith 3 - an uncharacteristically hesitant performance from the captain who struggled from the first whistle

Fyfield 5 - gave away possession in dangerous positions and concentration levels looked low

Kerr 4 - could not stamp his authority on the match in a manner City fans have seen so often in the past

Kearns 6 - STAR MAN - expressed himself in possession when others around him could not perform the basics

Blair 5 - nothing came off for him after a return to midfield and he looked lost at times

Chambers 4 - notable contributions are difficult to recall before his departure midway through the second half

Walker 6 - showed some neat touches and was only goal threat in first half, but largely starved of service before his withdrawal

Rodman 4 - never imposed himself on proceedings during a difficult afternoon to make his full debut

Subs: Jon Challinor 4 - weak (for Rodman, 58), Jamie Reed 4 - ineffectual (for Chambers, 65), Oli Johnson 6 - promise (for Walker, 65). Not used: Paul Musselwhite, Daniel Parslow, Chris Doig, Paddy McLaughlin.

AFC Wimbledon

Seb Brown, Curtis Osano, Yado Mambo, Will Antwi, Jonathan Meads, George Francomb, Stacy Long (Christian Jolley, 88), Steven Gregory (Huw Johnson, 89), Jake Reeves, Byron Harrison (Charlie Strutton, 75), Jack Midson. Subs not used: Warren Cummings, Luke Moore, Jim Fenlon, Mikhael Jaimez-Ruiz.

AFC Wimbledon star man: Mambo - displayed a desire that was sadly missing in many of the hosts’ players.

Booked: Reeves 40.

Attendance: 3,585 (406 from Wimbledon).

Referee: Tony Bates (Stoke). Rating: 7/10 – officiated in a controlled and sensible manner.

Shots on target: City 2, Wimbledon 4

Shots off target: City 7, Wimbledon 6

Corners: City 9, Wimbledon 9

Fouls conceded: City 10, Wimbledon 16

Offsides: City 1, Wimbledon 6