JUST hours before the clocks went forward, York City’s players were left wishing they could turn back time following their 1-1 draw with Tamworth.

For, if they had been given a second opportunity to defend right-winger Richard Tait’s 82nd-minute cross, the home side would surely not have left both Michael Wylde and Chris Smith queuing up unmarked on the far post to cancel out Luke Graham’s first goal in City colours.

Second chances in football, though, are a bit like Jim Davidson jokes. You just don’t get them!

Smith, therefore, was Tamworth’s unlikely goal hero on a ground where he never managed to net in three years as a Minsterman.

His finish, prodded over the line from a couple of yards, was the second of only two on-target efforts mustered by the lowly Lambs at Bootham Crescent.

It followed on swiftly from the first – a Wylde header that was superbly parried by the hopelessly-exposed Ingham only to present Smith with his gleeful tap-in.

Smith’s effort ended a nine-hour wait for a goal for Tamworth and saw City concede for the first time in four matches.

In truth, though, the hosts had ridden their luck a little during a drab first half, particularly when Djoumin Sangare, as his side’s last man, decided to try and dribble his way out of defence.

Sangare was robbed of possession by Smith, who operated effectively as the visitors’ anchor man in a five-man midfield, but the Tamworth skipper was in unfamiliar territory from that moment on and his hesitancy, when gifted a free run on goal, allowed the French centre-back to make a face-saving recovery.

Fellow defender Graham went on to open the scoring in the 56th minute, but the home side could not build on that lead.

Foyle’s team have now gone 16 games since they last netted more than once in a match and, while they have garnered a reputation as masters of the 1-0 win – with ten to their name this season – such slender advantages always carry an element of risk.

Having been over-reliant on Richard Brodie’s goals during the first half of the campaign, it is no surprise that the side’s diminished potency has coincided with an 11-game barren run for the England ‘C’ international.

There seem to be many theories floating around concerning the cause of Brodie’s failure to add to his 2009/10 tally of 27 goals since mid-January.

Some feel he lost momentum during two enforced lay-offs due to suspension, while others are even pointing to the sale of close pal Andy Ferrell to Gateshead as a possible contributing factor.

The absence of another midfielder, though, could offer the most plausible explanation for Brodie’s goal drought.

Alex Lawless has provided the most goal assists for City’s top scorer this season and it may be no coincidence that he has been sidelined with a hamstring problem for more than half of the games Brodie has played since last hitting the target two-and-a-half months ago. The former Forest Green midfielder certainly has an unrivalled knack of picking out Brodie’s runs behind opposition defences with precise through balls.

Foyle, admirably loyal to winning sides when it comes to team selection, will now find it hard to ignore Lawless’ claims for a starting place having named the fit-again craftsman as a substitute for Saturday’s draw.

Similarly, David McGurk, still leading The Press Player of the Year contest, would seem too important a player to leave on the bench during the crucial seven-game run-in.

Sangare could certainly be sweating on his place after an erratic first-half display.

The former Salisbury defender survived his scrape with Smith and was also relieved to see Iyseden Christie lift a 12-yard attempt over the bar after being played on side and afforded too much space in the penalty box by Sangare.

At the other end, Paul Harsley shot too high eight yards out from a deflected Ben Purkiss cross and James Meredith drove over from the edge of the box after Des Lyttle had blocked Brodie’s shot on the turn.

The Minstermen made a more purposeful start to the second half, with Courtney Pitt forcing the first save of the afternoon on 49 minutes.

Pitt’s 25-yard pot-shot was punched up into the air by Danny Alcock with the visiting ’keeper then awarded a free-kick as Brodie challenged for the loose ball.

Moments later, Jay Smith lunged dangerously into the back of Brodie’s calves in the same penalty box, but referee Jake Collin waved aside strong home appeals.

City forged ahead, however, when left-winger Pitt crossed from the right with his weaker foot and Graham’s powerful eight-yard header beat Alcock on 56 minutes.

The Minstermen pressed for a second goal with Harsley miskicking in front of goal after Michael Gash and Brodie had combined to create the opportunity.

Jamie Clarke also sidefooted past a post from the edge of the box before the Lambs levelled the scores with their only foray forward of the second half.

In response to Smith’s equaliser, Sangare headed over from six yards during stoppage time but City were forced to settle for a share of the spoils.

Match facts

York City 1 (Graham 56), Tamworth 1 (Smith 82)


York City: Michael Ingham 7, Ben Purkiss 6, Luke Graham 8, Djoumin Sangare 6, James Meredith 7, Paul Harsley 7, Neil Barrett 7, Jamie Clarke 7, Courtney Pitt 7, Richard Brodie 6, Michael Gash 6.

Substitutions: Michael Rankine (for Gash, 73), Chris Carruthers (for Harsley, 78), Adam Smith (for Pitt, 78). Not used: McGurk, Lawless.

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 – a defensive lynchpin and deserved his first goal in City colours.


Tamworth: Danny Alcock, Des Lyttle (Tom Shaw, 50), Aaron Mitchell, Michael Wylde, Michael Blackwood, Chris Smith, Richard Tait, Jay Smith (Seb Lake-Gaskin, 62), Bradley Pritchard, Alex Rodman, Iyseden Christie (Jerome Murdock, 62). Subs not used: Neil MacKenzie, Chamberlain Fankem.


Booked: Pitt 53, Smith 90.

Shots on target: York 2, Tamworth 2.

Shots off target: York 7, Tamworth 4.

Corners: York 6, Tamworth 2.

Fouls committed: York 8, Tamworth 9.

Offsides: York 1, Tamworth 2.

Referee: Jake Collin (Liverpool).

Attendance: 2,863 (136 away fans).

Tackle of the match: An early block by Mitchell that thwarted Harsley as he looked to convert a Purkiss cross.

Shot of the match: Pitt’s second-half strike that proved too hot to handle for Alcock.

Save of the match: City ’keeper Ingham’s parry from Wylde that, unfairly, saw the ball fall straight to Smith.


Head to head: Paul Harsley v Michael Blackwood

Harsley and Blackwood were not always placed in direct combat as the City midfielder tends to occupy an inside-right role rather than playing as an out-and-out winger, but the on-loan Chesterfield man ensured left-back Blackwood, normally a winger himself, rarely ventured forward. Harsley was indeed more of an attacking threat, escaping Blackwood’s attentions three times to pop up in promising positions in the visitors’ penalty box without hitting the target.