Match report: York City 1, Tamworth 2

Fourth-bottom Southport seem sure to follow the Sussex side out of the Blue Square Bet Premier but they too have outscored the Minstermen during 2010/11.

Indeed, an examination of the table following Saturday’s results revealed that only four teams have netted fewer times in the highest echelon of non-League football.

City’s season-long struggle to convert chances certainly cost the side dearly against manager Gary Mills’ old team Tamworth on Saturday, just a fortnight after spurned opportunities meant the difference between a draw and victory at Kettering.

Both matches, depending on the club’s final position come the end of the month, could now be offered as defining moments in the team’s campaign.

In truth, if City do miss out in their courageous play-off push, fingers would be better served pointing to the opening two months of the season prior to Mills’ arrival at Bootham Crescent.

After all, it must not be forgotten that, before Saturday’s defeat, the Minstermen had taken a fantastic 31 points from a possible 33 at home.

Nevertheless, a toothless run that has seen the side only score more than once in two of their last nine matches has highlighted City’s biggest failing at the most unfortunate point in the season.

The team’s strikers should not carry the can alone though.

In fact, Jamie Reed and Saturday’s marksman Leon Constantine boast goals per start ratios comparable with any other player in the division.

Wingers Peter Till, Ashley Chambers and David McDermott should certainly be disappointed, however, with a collective return of seven goals between them.

Furthermore, centre-backs Chris Smith and David McGurk have failed to find the net in a combined total of 56 league matches while Jonathan Smith, with five, is the only player to contribute more than two goals from midfield.

On Saturday, Jonathan Smith and Scott Kerr were both guilty of a lack of composure in front of goal, while Reed and Till might also have worked visiting ’keeper Liam Mitchell more with fantastic first-half openings.

Top scorer Michael Rankine, meanwhile, was surprisingly shackled in an expert manner by former City right-back Duane Courtney, now plying his trade in the centre of defence for the Lambs.

Courtney chose this match to turn in his best-ever Bootham Crescent performance, as did fellow Minstermen old boys Ben Wilkinson and Christian Smith.

Had City conducted a straw poll among home supporters prior to kick off to select the three former players you would most like to face in a crucial fixture, all of the above would probably have merited a generous share of votes following underwhelming spells in North Yorkshire.

Wilkinson never netted in a home match for City during 11 outings but took just 26 minutes to open the scoring in Saturday’s game, only moments after Christian Smith had gone close with a powerful 30-yard effort.

The Minstermen had earlier made a bright start but Reed fired straight at Mitchell on ten minutes after Kerr and Rankine had combined to send him clear on goal.

Daniel Parslow then headed wide from a Chambers corner before Smith’s long-distance attempt looked to have beaten Ingham before flashing narrowly wide.

In their next attack, the Lambs forged ahead after Rankine was penalised for a foul on Courtney.

Mitchell launched the ball forward from the resulting free-kick and a seemingly unprepared Chris Smith could only head the ball into the path of Wilkinson.

Having made an unchecked run into the home box, the former Gretna midfielder then prodded the ball into Ingham’s bottom left-hand corner with the outside of his boot.

Jonathan Smith should have equalised on 37 minutes but missed his kick from three yards with the goal at his mercy after Reed had done well to keep a heavily-hit James Meredith through ball in play.

Shortly afterwards, Till failed to beat Mitchell after Meredith and Reed had combined.

Having not conceded more than once in any home game since the opening day of the season prior to Saturday, City have often compensated for their profligacy in front of goal with watertight defensive displays.

But the hosts seemed to miss the assurance of injury victim David McGurk against Tamworth, who could have doubled their advantage six minutes into the interval had Danny Thomas showed more composure when he blazed over after bearing down on goal following Liam Darville’s mistake.

At the other end, Jonathan Smith and Chambers both forced decent saves from Mitchell with edge-of-the-box efforts but the moment that left City shell-shocked arrived on 74 minutes, shortly after the home side had switched from a 4-4-2 formation to 4-3-3.

Another hopeful punt forward saw last man Parslow caught flat-footed, allowing Kyle Perry an unopposed run on goal.

The former Mansfield striker, playing through the pain barrier with a knee injury, then claimed his 17th goal of the season in emphatic fashion by rifling an unstoppable effort into the roof of Ingham’s net from ten yards.

Caretaker manager Dale Belford, taking charge for the first time following the resignation of Des Lyttle, withdrew him straight afterwards.

Chambers, enjoying his best performance in a City shirt for some time, responded with a curling 25-yard effort that Mitchell tipped on to his crossbar and over.

The on-loan Notts County ’keeper also dived low to his left to keep out a long-range Andre Boucaud strike.

Mitchell was eventually beaten on 89 minutes when, having clawed away an inswinging Chambers corner that threatened to cross his line, he was beaten at close range by Constantine’s header after Kerr had nodded the ball back towards goal.

In stoppage time, Constantine forced another save from Mitchell while the unmarked Kerr skied a 15-yard chance over.

Even Ingham was sent forward at the death but the Minstermen were left reflecting on the impact of defeat against a relegation-threatened team who had not won a single corner and created three times fewer chances than their hosts.

Match facts

York City 1 (Constantine 89), Tamworth 2 (Wilkinson 26; Perry 74)

York City: Michael Ingham 6, Liam Darville 5, Chris Smith 5, Daniel Parslow 5, James Meredith 5, Peter Till 6, Scott Kerr 6, Jonathan Smith 5, Ashley Chambers 8, Michael Rankine 5, Jamie Reed 5.

Subs: Andre Boucaud 6 (for Rankine, 65), Leon Constantine 6 (for J Smith, 68), Chris Carruthers (for Reed, 84). Not used: Fyfield, Mackin.

Key: 10 – Faultless; 9 – Outstanding; 8 – Excellent; 7 – Good; 6 – Average; 5 – Below par; 4 – Poor; 3 – Dud; 2 – Hopeless; 1 – Retire.

Star man: Chambers – threatened every time he had ball in an otherwise unimaginative attacking performance.

Tamworth: Liam Mitchell, Richard Tait, Duane Courtney, Tom Marshall, Scott Barrow (Aaron Farrell, 90), Seb Lake-Gaskin, Ben Wilkinson, Christian Smith, Danny Thomas (Michael Wylde, 69), Kyle Perry (Jason Bradley, 75), Jake Sheridan.

Subs not used: Aaron Mitchell, Louis Connor.

Booked: Sheridan 12, Barrow 32, J Smith 67, Farrell 90.

Shots on target: York 13, Tamworth 3.

Shots off target: York 9, Tamworth 4.

Corners: York 9, Tamworth 0.

Offsides: York 1, Tamworth 3.

Fouls conceded: York 10, Tamworth 12.

Referee: Colin Harwood (Manchester). Rating: his lengthy lecturing of players was tiresome.

Attendance: 2,484 (96 away fans).

Miss of the match: Jonathan Smith’s first-half fluff.

Shot of the match: Perry’s thumping finish left Ingham helpless.

Save of the match: Mitchell’s finger-tip push on to bar from Chambers.

Head to head - Michael Rankine v Duane Courtney

Considering Courtney’s disastrous displays for City earlier this season, this battle looked a mismatch.

But, right from the first whistle, the right-back, converted into a central defender by Tamworth, made his presence felt, winning headers and stealing in front of Rankine to win possession.

A couple of kicks at the Minstermen’s target man, followed by cheeky banter and apologies, were also missed by referee Colin Harwood before Rankine eventually trudged off the pitch when Mills substituted him after a poor afternoon on 65 minutes.