9:38am Monday 15th February 2010
By Dave Flett
HE might be York City’s Angel of the North but there are some in the South who would question Richard Brodie’s divine status after Saturday’s 1-0 defeat at Ebbsfleet.
A flailing elbow that led to Brodie’s dismissal at Stonebridge Road, certainly left a thousand supporters of the Kent club and their snarling manager Liam Daish unconvinced.
An ashen-faced Brodie, never normally slow to protest his innocence, also seemed full of remorse as he headed for an early shower midway through the second half.
The affable Geordie will have, no doubt, regretted inflicting injury on home midfielder Dean Pooley as much as he did a numerical disadvantage on his team-mates.
Pooley returned to the pitch ten minutes later after receiving five stitches to a cut that saw him leave the field with blood gushing from his head.
City’s 27-goal top scorer, however, will have to sit out three important games before he can be called upon again.
Daish’s assertion that Brodie acted in frustration after being expertly shackled by summer City target Darius Charles was difficult to dispute.
It is possible that enduring a fourth match without finding the net – a barren spell by Brodie’s standards – also contributed to his 66th-minute aberration but the England ‘C’ international and City manager Martin Foyle will know neither explanation provides an acceptable excuse.
Whilst understandably revelling in his well-deserved good times this season, when he returns from his three-game suspension Brodie must try to curb his irritation when matters are not falling in his favour because nobody can be a hero every game.
Charles was unarguably dominant for the Kent hosts although the Minstermen’s defensive spine of centre-backs Luke Graham and David McGurk and midfield anchorman Levi Mackin was equally as strong.
An uneventful first half suggested that the match might follow a similar pattern to recent City away games with the visitors snuffing out attack after attack before grabbing a goal themselves.
But, on this occasion, Ebbsfleet proved just as obdurate and durable as Foyle’s men and it was the 2008 FA Trophy winners who converted one of their few chances to secure maximum points courtesy of Moses Ashikodi on 52 minutes.
Having now won four of their last five matches, there is clearly credence in Foyle’s pre-match insistence that the Fleet are in a false position, languishing in the division’s lower reaches.
During a game in which the ball spent long spells off the ground, the potential for aerial combat was always going to be high and, after only a handful of minutes, a sickening clash of heads between Michael Rankine and Clint Easton left the latter with a suspected fractured cheekbone and eye socket.
Absolving Rankine of intent, referee Marvin Thompson awarded a drop ball.
Rankine was City’s only first-half goal threat, cutting in from the left to only force a routine save from Lance Cronin on eight minutes and, later, dragging an angled effort wide from 25 yards.
At the other end, the Blue Square Premier Player of the Month for January Magno Vieira volleyed helplessly wide from ten yards, while long-range efforts by Ashikodi and Stefan Bailey were comfortably smothered by Michael Ingham.
But Ebbsfleet broke the deadlock early in the second half when City left-back James Meredith was left on the deck by a bustling Ashikodi, who drilled the ball inside Ingham’s near post from an acute angle.
Just past the hour, Foyle sent on former Ebbsfleet pair Neil Barrett and Michael Gash, shifting Brodie on to the left flank.
The England ‘C’ international’s stint on the wing was short-lived, however, when he clattered into Pooley.
Middlesex official Thompson acted swiftly to avoid any retaliation, showing no hesitancy in reaching for his red card.
It was still even numbers, however, as Pooley received medical attention.
But City came closest to managing an equaliser when one man down.
Courtney Pitt almost marked his debut with a goal but Cronin tipped his inswinging free-kick over.
Fellow substitute Michael Gash then headed wide in stoppage time after Rankine had met Alex Lawless’ cross into the box.
Ebbsfleet 1 (Ashikodi, 52), York City 0
York City: Michael Ingham 6, Daniel Parslow 7, Luke Graham 8, David McGurk 8, James Meredith 7, Ben Purkiss 6, Levi Mackin 8, Alex Lawless 6, Chris Carruthers 6, Michael Rankine 6, Richard Brodie 5.
Substitutions: Neil Barrett 6 (for Purkiss, 63), Michael Gash 6 (for Carruthers, 64), Courtney Pitt (for Mackin, 75). Not used: Jamie Clarke, Djoumin Sangare.
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: Graham – responded well to Ebbsfleet’s aerial approach.
Ebbsfleet: Lance Cronin, Gavin Heeroo, Leon Crooks, Darius Charles, Clint Easton (Jordan Collins, 7), Ricky Shakes, Dean Pooley, Peter Holmes, Stefan Bailey, Moses
Ashikodi (Scott Ginty, 85), Magno Vieira.
Subs not used: Michael West, Ishmael Welsh, Kane Wills.
Bookings: None.
Sent off: Brodie 66.
Shots on target: Ebbsfleet 3 City 2.
Shots off target: Ebbsfleet 4 City 3.
Corners: Ebbsfleet 3 City 4.
Fouls conceded: Ebbsfleet 13 City 11.
Offsides: Ebbsfleet 1 City 2.
Referee: Marvin Thompson (Middlesex) rating: moved around the pitch well and was decisive when he needed to be.
Attendance: 1,226 (256 from City).
Tackle of the match: A recovery challenge by Charles on Brodie as the City striker looked to bear down on goal in the second half.
Mistake of the match: Brodie’s stray elbow shortly afterwards.
Miss of the match: Gash might have hit equaliser with stoppage time header.
Ebbsfleet right-winger Shakes was shackled admirably by Meredith to the extent that he made no positive contribution to the game.
The City full-back was never beaten for pace, but could perhaps have looked to get forward down the flank a little more.
He was unfortunate for Ebbsfleet’s goal when Ashikodi appeared to muscle him to the floor.
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