VICTORY against Cambridge United a week tomorrow will see York City win five successive home games during a season for the first time in more than a decade.

Another three points in that fixture will mean the Minstermen have not been so dominant at Bootham Crescent in a league campaign since the likes of Jonathan Greening, Graeme Murty and Richard Cresswell were cutting their teeth in North Yorkshire 11 years ago.

Kettering arrived on Saturday sitting second in the Blue Square Premier table, but were swatted aside in a similar fashion to Forest Green (2-0), Histon (3-1) and Crawley (2-0) before them, dispelling any sceptical slurs that Martin Foyle’s men had only beaten the division’s lesser lights this season.

Richard Brodie was once again the goal hero, bagging a second-half brace with two uncharacteristic tap-ins while, at the other end, City ’keeper Michael Ingham kept a third consecutive clean sheet, aided immeasurably by imperious defensive performances from Djoumin Sangare and Daniel Parslow.

The two centre-backs also claimed a goal assist apiece, meeting wickedly-delivered Andy Ferrell corners with their heads to tee up chances for a predatory Brodie.

He converted both from inside the six-yard box and should the former Newcastle Benfield striker have developed a poacher’s instinct to complement his boundless enthusiasm, honest workrate and penchant for spectacular goals, then the Blue Square Premier golden boot will be within his grasp this term.

Brodie took his season’s tally to seven and set the tone for Saturday’s match by making hefty Kettering defender Ian Roper look ropey straight from the kick off.

The City striker stole possession from the hesitant former Luton centre-back and bore down on visiting ’keeper Lee Harper’s goal.

Harper palmed out Brodie’s right-footed shot after 13 seconds and Exodus Geohaghon prevented Michael Gash forcing home the loose ball. A further 11 seconds had then elapsed before Brodie tested Harper again with a curling, edge-of-the-box effort.

Just as against Crawley, the Minstermen then spent most of the next 20 minutes encamped in the visitors’ half, placing a back-line that had been breached only once in the previous six matches under relentless pressure.

Ferrell set-pieces ultimately proved Kettering’s undoing and were a menace all afternoon with Gash heading wide from a right-wing free-kick and Sangare climbing high six yards out to clear the bar from an 11th-minute corner.

Further opportunities fell to Gash and Alex Lawless before a shell-shocked Kettering managed to call Ingham into action on the half-hour, although Patrick Noubissie’s 20-yard shot on the turn only required a routine catch.

Moments later, Brodie clattered into Kettering left-back James Jennings as he competed for the ball in the visitors’ box.

Referee Robert Madley immediately signalled a foul but Roper still felt retribution was necessary, flooring Brodie with a two-handed shove.

Sensibly, Madley decided cautions for both Brodie and Roper would suffice, although the “you can’t raise your hands” brigade would not have approved and City’s Richard Pacquette, sent off for an arguably tamer act of retaliation at Gateshead, was no doubt bemoaning a lack of refereeing consistency as he watched on from the stands.

Kettering’s brightest spell of the match came either side of the interval with Moses Ashikodi firing over a free-kick after Sangare was harshly penalised and Francis Green going close after cutting in from the left flank.

City, though, forged ahead when Ferrell swung in a 57th-minute flag kick that Sangare headed down towards goal. Brodie then reacted quickest, pouncing to beat Harper from a yard before the ball had time to hit the ground.

On 66 minutes, Gash might have added to City’s lead but lobbed wide with Harper off his line after James Meredith’s excellently-flighted through ball.

The Minstermen then survived a scare when Ingham, seemingly deciding he was going to come and collect Geohaghon’s long throw before he had checked the flight of the ball, was relieved to see Ashikodi hook over his vacated goal.

Seconds later, Brodie had scored his second of the afternoon.

This time, Parslow met Ferrell’s 69th-minute flag kick, heading back towards Brodie, who nodded in from two yards.

Adam Smith twice tried his luck from distance as City searched for a third goal, but Kettering might have also grabbed a consolation when Danny Thomas’ header, from fellow substitute Jean-Paul Marna’s right-wing cross, flicked off the top of Ingham’s crossbar.

City never looked in danger of surrendering maximum points with centre-back David McGurk introduced late on as a midfield anchorman to close out the game.


Match facts

York City 2 (Brodie 57, 69), Kettering 0

York City: Michael Ingham 7, Ben Purkiss 7, Djoumin Sangare 9, Daniel Parslow 8, James Meredith 7, Adam Smith 7, Alex Lawless 7, Neil Barrett 7, Andy Ferrell 8, Michael Gash 7, Richard Brodie 8.

Substitutions: Michael Rankine (for Brodie, 74) Levi Mackin (for Ferrell, 84) David McGurk (for Smith, 90) Subs not used: O’Hare, Nelthorpe.

Key: 10 – Faultless; 9 – Outstanding; 8 – Excellent; 7 – Good; 6 – Average; 5 – Below par; 4 – Poor; 3 – Dud; 2 – Hopeless; 1 – Retire.

City’s star man: Sangare – tremendous attitude and almost unbeatable on the floor and in the air.


Kettering: Lee Harper, John Dempster, Exodus Geohaghon, Ian Roper, James Jennings (Greg Taylor, 85), Darren Wrack (Danny Thomas, 70), Lee Fowler, Patrick Noubissie, Francis Green, Moses Ashikodi (Jean-Paul Marna, 70), Damien Spencer.

Subs not used: Nicky Eaden, Nicholas Bussey.


Shots on target: York 4, Kettering 2.

Shots off target: York 11, Kettering 5.

Corners: York 8, Kettering 2. Fouls conceded: York 9, Kettering 10.

Offsides: York 2, Kettering 0.

Yellow cards: Fowler 24, Brodie 34, Roper 35, Geohaghon 55, Ferrell 60, Smith 88.

Referee: Robert Madley (Ossett). Rating: kept a level head throughout and fairly sensible in his decisions.

Attendance: 2,275 (157 away fans).

Pass of the match: An excellently-weighted, outside-of-the-boot ball by Gash to release Purkiss down the right during City’s lively opening.


Head to head: Richard Brodie v Ian Roper

Right from the first whistle, Richard Brodie’s willingness to put heavy-legged centre-back Ian Roper under pressure reaped its reward.

The England ‘C’ international went close to opening the scoring after taking the ball off the slow-thinking former Walsall defender’s toes.

Had City managed to isolate Roper more, then Brodie might have added to his brace of goals as the Kettering man looked unsettled by the City striker’s pace and persistence. Brodie was also a physical match for Roper, aside from when he was shoved to the ground.