York City have restricted runaway Blue Square Premier leaders Oxford United to three shots on target in three hours of football this season.

Frustratingly, for the Minstermen, all three have ended up in Michael Ingham’s net.

Matt Green and Mark Creighton struck on 88 and 91 minutes respectively to earn the U’s a fortunate 2-1 victory at the Kassam Stadium on the opening day of the season.

In Saturday’s return fixture, the visitors waited until the 81st minute to threaten Ingham’s goal, but Simon Clist’s close-range strike proved enough to secure a lucky draw after the immense Michael Rankine had earlier broken the deadlock.

One point from a possible six is certainly scant reward for the manner in which City have approached both games, but Martin Foyle’s men should take great confidence from their displays against the division’s top team and need fear no other club for the remainder of the season.

Rankine, in particular, has caused unyielding Oxford centre-backs Creighton and Luke Foster countless problems with his industry during the two encounters and thoroughly deserved his second goal of the season.

The visitors struggled to contain the powerful City striker throughout, often adopting unlawful measures that went unnoticed when committed in the penalty box where Rankine was wrestled to the ground off the ball on more than one occasion.

Referee Mark Brown was more attentive when it came to spotting James Meredith’s misdemeanours.

The City left-back was sent off after committing his second foul on 83 minutes while Oxford top scorer James Constable, seemingly angling for the caution that would take him to the five-booking threshold and rule him out of Saturday’s FA Cup clash with part-timers Thurrock, only saw yellow after a long string of offences.

City’s leading marksman Richard Brodie, though, incurred an unwanted one-match ban in infuriating circumstances.

Brodie will miss tomorrow night’s trip to Luton unless the match DVD confirms his innocence in a case of mistaken identity after an embarrassing episode for the men in black.

Confusion reigned when the fourth official, who might have been better served channeling his full concentration towards mastering the ever-troublesome electronic board, decided to stroll on to the pitch for a chat with Brown following Rankine’s goal.

Apparently in all certainty, he had spotted Brodie commiting the heinous crime of throwing the ball away as City headed back to line up for the restart.

The flabbergasted City striker appealed in vain, knowing the repercussions of his name being taken but Hull official Brown, who clearly had reservations about bringing out his yellow card, decided to brandish it anyway.

It was weak refereeing from a man who is paid to be in charge of a game, but allowed himself to be misled by his technical area cohort. The real culprit, Adam Smith, might also have made a more convincing declaration of his guilt though. Afterwards, Brodie visibly allowed himself to be sidetracked by the injustice and the Minstermen lost their momentum a little before Clist’s equaliser.

Earlier, his striking partner Rankine had set the tone for the match by muscling his way between Creighton and left-back Steven Kinniburgh and forcing U’s ’keeper Ryan Clarke to smother at his feet after only 44 seconds.

The former Rushden forward also drilled a fierce early shot into Oxford’s defensive wall from a free-kick – one of a number of City efforts that were blocked by the resolute visiting backline during the game.

A flying save by Clarke then denied Rankine on 12 minutes after he had met Andy Ferrell’s corner with a firm header.

Neil Barrett, combining well with Alex Lawless to make light of the Minstermen’s numerical disadvantage in the middle of the park, drove wide from 30 yards moments later.

The impressive Damien Batt dragged the visitors’ only first-half shot wide from the edge of the box on 21 minutes.

After the break, an acrobatic scissor-kick by Rankine hit the roof of the David Longhurst Stand, while a long-range Dannie Bulman strike bounced wide at the other end.

Rankine, though, broke the deadlock on 71 minutes following a slick passing move.

The 6ft 3in striker’s seven-yard side-footed finish left Clarke well beaten after a low Ferrell cRoss from the left, but the ensuing shenanigans seemed to unsettle City.

Five minutes later, Batt charged down the right flank and delivered a cross that Constable completely miskicked at the far post.

But Oxford levelled on 81 minutes when substitute Jack Midson capitalised on a fortuitous ricochet off Daniel Parslow’s back, crossing low from the right for Clist to tap in from inside the six-yard box.

Meredith was dismissed moments later after an over-eager attempt to win the ball from Green, having been cautioned in the first half for tripping Constable.

But the ten men went closest to snatching maximum points when the nimble-footed Lawless tip-toed his way towards the edge of the penalty box before firing wide.


Match facts

York City 1 (Rankine 71), Oxford United 1 (Clist 81)

York City: Michael Ingham 7, Ben Purkiss 7, Djoumin Sangare 7, Daniel Parslow 7, James Meredith 6, Adam Smith 7, Alex Lawless 8, Neil Barrett 8, Andy Ferrell 8, Michael Rankine 9, Richard Brodie 7.

Substitutions: David McGurk (for Smith, 84), Adam Boyes (for Rankine, 90).

Subs not used: Craig Nelthorpe, Josh Mimms, Levi Mackin.

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: Rankine – if he can reproduce his two performances against Oxford on a regular basis he can strike fear into any opponents.


Oxford: Ryan Clarke, Damian Batt, Luke Foster, Mark Creighton, Steven Kinniburgh, Dannie Bulman, Adam Murray (Adam Chapman, 70), Simon Clist, Matt Green, James Constable, Jamie Cook (Jack Midson, 69).

Subs not used: Ross Perry, Kevin Sandwith, Rhys Day.


Booked: Meredith 37, Green 43, Constable 67, Brodie 73, Kinniburgh 85.

Sent off: Meredith 83.

Shots on target: York 3, Oxford 1.

Shots off target: York 7, Oxford 2.

Corners: York 4, Oxford 2.

Fouls conceded: York 8, Oxford 19.

Offsides: York 1, Oxford 1.

Referee: Mark Brown (East Yorks). Rating: weak and inconsistent.

Attendance: 4,302 (778 away fans).

Save of the match: Clarke’s flying stop to keep out Rankine’s header.

Mistake of the match: The error to book Brodie by an over-confident and foolish fourth official.


Head to head

James Meredith v Matt Green

The dangerous Green had an off day for Oxford and did not really receive the service required for him to put Meredith under pressure.

City’s left-back was guilty of diving in to the back of Green though for his second bookable offence.

Earlier, he was caught on his heels and showed a lack of anticipation when he clattered into Constable.