AFC Wimbledon 0, York City 1

Defeat on Saturday would have seen the born-again Wombles move four points behind Martin Foyle’s men in the Blue Square Premier standings with two games in hand.

Michael Rankine’s 63rd-minute diving header, however, widened that gap to ten points and lifted City into a top-five position for the first time since mid-October.

With his name the only one on the scoresheet for the second successive game, Rankine is now getting the rewards in front of goal that his endeavour and honest running merits.

The 24-year-old forward stretched every conceivable neck muscle to get on the end of a Chris Carruthers centre and send a powerful header into impressive teenage ’keeper Seb Brown’s bottom left-hand corner.

It was a goal to signal the current strength of City’s squad, as well as manager Foyle’s transfer market acumen.

Rankine’s form has been so impressive that £55,000 summer signing Michael Gash is far from guaranteed a starting place having recovered from his broken foot.

On-loan utility man Carruthers, meanwhile, has been a reliable source of quality crosses in recent matches, resulting in the impressive Andy Ferrell having to kick his heels on the bench and the talented Craig Nelthorpe being sent to Barrow for first-team football.

Luke Graham’s performance at the heart of City’s defence on his full debut, following Ben Purkiss’ late withdrawal from the side, also suggests Foyle now has four very capable centre-backs vying for starting places.

Such was the Minstermen’s defensive dominance at Kingsmeadow, in fact, that the hosts failed to muster a single shot on target in 90 minutes.

Michael Ingham did make one save, diving to his right to gather from Danny Kedwell but the ex-Grays forward’s 25-yard attempt would have bounced wide of his near post seconds before the break.

A scrappy first-half, punctuated by some awful refereeing, saw an over-officious John Hopkins complement every foul he awarded with an unnecessary lecture or baffling booking.

The speed with which Hopkins removed his yellow card from his pocket to caution City’s Daniel Parslow and home defender Paul Lorraine for supposed dissent, or James Meredith and Chris Carruthers for casually kicking the ball away, certainly did not match his movement around the pitch, as he missed a succession of climbing offences against Rankine and Brodie.

Rankine drove the first chance of the game wide from 15 yards after a second-minute back heel by Neil Barratt before Meredith became the first of six players to enter Essex official Hopkins’ notebook and Brodie soon followed after appearing to swipe out at Lorraine in frustration after another oversight.

Moments later, Rankine headed over after an excellent, one-touch passing move involving Alex Lawless, Barrett and Brodie while Wimbledon’s first shot of the match saw Brett Johnson stab wide from ten yards in the 45th minute.

After the interval, Johnson went close with a deflected header following Elliott Godfrey’s corner before City began to build up a head of steam.

On the hour, Brodie’s far-post header from a Lawless cross was pushed onto the woodwork by Brown.

Lawless then saw an edge-of-the box attempt deflected over before City forged ahead from the resulting flag kick.

Wimbledon cleared Barrett’s corner but only as far as Carruthers who, with his weaker right foot, bent in an enticing delivery that Rankine directed past Brown.

Six minutes later, the 19-year-old stopper denied Brodie with a fine reflex save at his near post after the England ‘C’ international had turned Rankine’s cross from the right towards goal.

Wimbledon, encouraged by a level of support rarely enjoyed during their Premier League days, mustered little in response although Levi Mackin made a crucial 72nd-minute interception, as Sam Hatton waited to tap in Jon Main’s right-wing cross that had travelled past Ingham.

There was little more cause for anxiety, however, as City registered their third away win of the season and the hapless Hopkins played the allotted amount of stoppage time, having blown up 30 seconds early in the first half.

Match facts

AFC Wimbledon 0, York City 1 (Rankine 63)

York City: Michael Ingham 7, Daniel Parslow 7, Luke Graham 8, David McGurk 8, James Meredith 7, Alex Lawless 7, Levi Mackin 7, Neil Barrett 7, Chris Carruthers 8, Michael Rankine 8, Richard Brodie 7.

Substitutions: Michael Gash (for Brodie, 78), Andy Ferrell (for Barrett, 82).

Subs not used: Gall, Smith, Mimms.

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 – never gave the home defence a second’s rest. Goal was tremendously taken.

AFC Wimbledon: Seb Brown, Jay Conroy (Ricky Wellard, 76), Paul Lorraine, Ben Judge, Brett Johnson, Lewis Taylor (Ross Montague, 82), Steven Gregory, Sam Hatton, Elliott Godfrey (Luke Moore, 67), Danny Kedwell, Jon Main.

Subs (not used): Jack Turner, Luis Cumbers.

Bookings: Meredith 21, Brodie 26, Lorraine 30, Parslow 37, Rankine 37, Carruthers 85.

Referee: John Hopkins (Wickford). Rating: awful to the point that he spoiled the game in the first half.

Attendance: 4,016.

Shots on target: AFC Wimbledon 0, York 3.

Shots off target: AFC Wimbledon 5, York 6.

Corners: AFC Wimbledon 3, York 6.

Fouls conceded: AFC Wimbledon 21, York 11.

Offsides: AFC Wimbledon 1, York 4.

Cross of the match: Carruthers’ centre that provided Rankine with the chance to win the match.

Save of the match: Brown made two fine saves from Brodie.

Head to head - Levi Mackin v Sam Hatton

Recalled midfielder Mackin gave his usual positionally-disciplined performance in front of the back four. Hatton rarely found the space to support AFC Wimbledon forwards Danny Kedwell and Jon Main. City’s combative Welshman could have been better in possession at times, but was in the right place at the right time to deny Hatton a certain goal on 72 minutes.