ANYONE who chortled when York City manager Martin Foyle insisted Fleetwood Town were one of the best three teams in the Blue Square Bet Premier isn’t laughing now.

This Bank Holiday trip to the coast proved anything but enjoyable for the Minstermen, who were undone by a Fleetwood side quicker and smarter with possession.

Trailing to a seventh-minute Gareth Seddon header, York struggled to get any foothold on the game – or the ball off the Fleetwood midfield.

And when James Meredith’s terrible back-pass was neatly finished by Magno Vieira with eight minutes left, it effectively put Fleetwood out of sight.

Greg Young’s late header from Alex Lawless’s free-kick gave York hope but, in truth, any great escape would have been tough on the home side, who had been far superior.

Despite City’s comfortable 3-0 win over Altrincham on Saturday, manager Martin Foyle changed his line-up.

Young came in for his first start – partnering David McGurk in the centre of defence – while Jonathan Smith and Michael Rankine returned to the starting 11, in the place of the injured Chris Carruthers and the unfortunate Peter Till.

It meant City reverted to the 4-3-3 formation which has become familiar this campaign but it didn’t stop them going a goal behind after only seven minutes.

Shaun Beeley crossed from the right and Seddon stole past Daniel Parslow and headed into the net past Michael Ingham from ten yards.

This wasn’t a moment of solitude from the league’s new boys either. In the opening quarter they were utterly dominant – an onrushing red horde.

Jamie McGuire fired just past a post on 12 minutes before Anthony Barry belted a 25-yard effort over the bar.

York didn’t have their first effort on goal until half-way through the first period, when Rankine’s volley from the left-hand side of the box went harmlessly wide.

And it was 35 minutes before they had their first shot on target – Smith’s low effort from 25 yards never really troubling Fleetwood ’keeper Danny Hurst down to his right.

City couldn’t get the ball away from the Fleetwood midfielders and, on the rare occasions they did, they opted to lump quick passes forward to their isolated three strikers.

With the home side keeping possession, they looked the more likely to push further in front before the half-time whistle rescued the Minstermen.

The immediate perception on the resumption was that nothing really had changed for York.

Steve McNulty’s shot was put behind from a corner and, from the following set-piece, Vieira just failed to get enough contact to keep his instinctive effort under the bar.

Smith had the temerity to test Hurst with a 25-yard drive but Fleetwood hit straight back on 53 minutes – Vieira almost making McGurk pay for a slip when narrowly failing to find the bottom left corner with a shot from 16 yards.

Neil Barrett made way for Till just before the hour mark, and McGurk was forced off with a knock nearly ten minutes later.

York had more possession now but Fleetwood still looked the more dangerous and Ingham made a smart save at his near post from a Curtis effort.

The home striker then skipped past substitute Djoumin Sangare and pulled it back from the byline but Young was able to boot the ball away.

David McDermott was introduced as Foyle tried to force an equaliser but Meredith snuffed out those lingering hopes with a terrible back-pass on 82 minutes.

Vieira was quickest to it, bearing down in on goal before neatly dinking his shot over the advancing Ingham to give Fleetwood a priceless cushion.

Conceding a second seemed to shock York into action and they halved the arrears with three minutes left.

Lawless whipped in a free-kick and summer signing Young got in front of the Fleetwood defence and directed his header past Hurst.

He could even have equalised – fizzing a fierce shot just wide – but that would have been more than the Minstermen deserved.


Match facts

Fleetwood Town 2 (Seddon 7, Vieira 82), York City 1 (Young 87)

York City: Michael Ingham 6, Daniel Parslow 6, David McGurk 6, Greg Young 7, James Meredith 5, Alex Lawless 6, Neil Barrett 6, Jonathan Smith 7, Michael Rankine 6, Michael Gash 6, Richard Brodie 6.

Substitutions: Peter Till (for Barrett 58) 6, Djoumin Sangare (for McGurk 69) 6, David McDermott (for Brodie 73).

Subs not used: Duane Courtney, David Knight.

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: Greg Young – not many to choose from but Young was committed, positionally sound and took his goal well.

Fleetwood Town: Danny Hurst, Shaun Beeley, Steve McNulty, Paul Linwood, Peter Cavanagh (Steven Connors 55), Anthony Barry, Ian Craney (Jamie Mullan 65), Jamie McGuire, Gareth Seddon, Wayne Curtis, Magno Vieira.

Subs not used: Nathan Pond, Scott Davies, Mark Beesley.

Booked: McGuire 62, Connors 74, Parslow 79.

Sent off: None.

Shots on target: Fleetwood 8, York 3.

Shots off target: Fleetwood 6, York 3.

Corners: Fleetwood 7, York 1.

Fouls conceded: Fleetwood 15, York 11.

Offsides: Fleetwood 3, York 0.

Referee: Matthew Bristow (Prestwich) – kept control of a committed game.

Attendance: 2,020.

Mistake of the match: Meredith’s poor back pass which let in Vieira to score the second was diabolical defending.

Move of the match: Lawless’s set-piece was beautifully delivered and Young got a nick on it to give York some late hope.


Head to head - Wayne Curtis v Greg Young

In for his first start of the season, it took Greg Young a few minutes to get to the speed of the game but, when he settled, he dealt well with the difficult to handle Curtis.

The Fleetwood striker’s pace and movement put City under constant pressure but Young did as well as any of the Minstermen back-line to keep him under control.

Young underlined his ability as an attacking presence when scoring the late goal which gave York hope.