Stevenage 3, York City 2

8:27am Wednesday 2nd April 2008

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PERHAPS fittingly, on April the First, referee Ian Scarr and his fellow officials turned in a joke of a performance at Stevenage Borough last night.

York City boss Colin Walker failed to see the funny side, however, as the foolish foursome allowed Stevenage centre-back Ashley Westwood to stay on the pitch despite denying the visitors' two goalscoring opportunities after conceding two penalties in last night's 3-2 home win.

Westwood's first offence - a tug on the shirt of Richard Brodie after Stuart Elliott's 25-yard drive had been parried by Stevenage goalkeeper Alan Julian - was intially detected by one of Mr Scarr's assistants.

But, having made the West Midlands whistler aware of the misdemeanour, he was then unable to identify Westwood as the perpetrator. Nor, after consultation, were the flag bearer on the opposite flank or the fourth official.

When the confusion met an inconclusive end, Nicky Wroe despatched the resulting spot-kick to help City to regain the lead on 30 minutes after his earlier effort had been cancelled out by a Gavin Grant equaliser.

There was more than a nagging sense of inevitability, however, when Westwood drew Stevenage level early in the second half.

Then, after the home side forged ahead for a second time through Mitchell Cole on the hour, Mr Scarr inexplicably declined an ideal opportunity to make amends for the earlier oversight.

This time, Westwood tripped Brodie as he bore down on Julian's goal and the referee pointed to the spot.

The City striker's immediate holding up of an imaginary card and lambasting of the linesman will not have been to the liking of the "respect" brigade but the men in black also have a responsibility to enforce the laws of the game.

However, amazingly, Mr Scarr did not even caution Westwood and, although the officials cannot be held culpable for Wroe's subsequently saved penalty, City left Broadhall Way last night feeling a strong sense of injustice.

The Minstermen's display against their play-off chasing hosts certainly deserved at least a point, although the team's season-long susceptibility to crosses again played its part in defeat.

City started in a positive fashion with Ben Purkiss raiding down the right and sending a low shot flashing wide of Julian's goal after just 43 seconds.

Martyn Woolford, restored to a striking role alongside Brodie, also volleyed over from the edge of the box before the visitors forged in front on 25 minutes, following a flowing move.

After good work by Elliott and Anthony Lloyd, the recalled Simon Rusk fed the ball into the penalty box for Brodie to flick into the path of Wroe with the outside of his boot.

Wroe's clever ghosting run had gone untracked by the Stevenage defence and he showed composure to roll the ball low to Julian's left from six yards.

But the home side drew level just two minutes later when Ronnie Henry's deep cross from the right saw Grant beat debutant 'keeper Josh Mimms at his near post from eight yards.

Confusion then reigned as Westwood escaped an early bath before Wroe sent Julian the wrong way from the spot and confidently found the Stevenage keeper's bottom left-hand corner.

Woolford could have extended City's lead on the stroke of half-time but elected to shoot early from the edge of the box after bursting clear of the home defence and dragged his effort wide.

Stevenage levelled on 48 minutes when Westwood rose above Mimms to head in Scott Laird's inswinging corner from three yards.

A 56th-minute Woolford shot then flashed across the face of Julian's goal before Cole found Mimms' bottom right-hand corner from eight yards after his first effort, following another Henry cross, had been blocked by Darren Craddock.

Three minutes later, pressure from Brodie chasing a long ball from Craddock forced Westwood into a mistake and then a desperate lunge that resulted in City's second penalty.

For the first time in a Minstermen shirt, though, Wroe looked uncertain from the spot and squandered the chance of a first senior hat-trick when his attempt was too close to Julian, who made an easy parry down to his left.

Substitute Leo Fortune-West should still have earned City a point, though, two minutes from time but headed wide from five yards after an excellent right-wing cross from Craddock.

Match facts

Stevenage 3 (Grant 27, Westwood 48, Cole 60), York City 2 (Wroe 25, 30 (pen)

York City: Josh Mimms 6, Darren Craddock 8, David McGurk 7, Danny Parslow 7, Ben Purkiss 7, Anthony Lloyd 6, Stuart Elliott 7, Nicky Wroe 7, Simon Rusk 7, Martyn Woolford 7, Richard Brodie 7.

Substitutes: Sodje for Purkiss 63 (6), Robinson for Lloyd 83, Fortune-West for Rusk 81

Unused subs: Evans, Hall.

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: Craddock - solid performance as a right-sided centre-half and dangerous at wing-back.

Stevenage: Alan Julian, Ronnie Henry, Tommy Smith, Ashley Westwood, Freddie Murray (Scott Laird 16), Scott Mitchell, Lawrie Wilson, John Martin, Gavin Grant (Calum Willock 70), Steve Morison, Mitchell Cole.

Subs not used: Luke Oliver, Mark Molesley, Clark Masters.

Shots on target: Stevenage 5, York 3.

Shots off target: Stevenage 3, York 8.

Corners: Stevenage 5, York 2.

Fouls conceded: Stevenage 16, York 15 .

Offsides: Stevenage 1, York 2.

Yellow cards: Mitchell 50, Elliott 82.

Referee: Ian Scarr (West Midlands).

Rating: Got the major decisions dreadfully wrong.

Attendance: 1,717.

Mistake of the match: The four officials' inability to identify Ashley Westwood as the player responsible for conceding the first penalty.

Move of the match: City's first goal crafted by Lloyd, Elliott, Rusk and Brodie and finished confidently by Wroe.

City player watch: Goalkeeper Josh Mimms

Shots faced: 5

Shots held: 2

Shots parried: 0

Goals conceded: 3

Kicks to own player: 4

Kicks to opposition: 18

Kick success rate: 18.2 per cent

Throws to own player: 4

Throws to opposition: 0

Throw success rate: 100 per cent

Crosses caught: 2

Crosses dropped: 0

Crosses punched: 0

Fouls won: 1

Fouls conceded: 0

Bookings: 0

Final summary: Did not have the busiest of debuts but will be disappointed three of the five on-target shots he faced ended up in his goal. Could do little about the first and third goals but could have commanded his six-yard box better from the corner that led to the second. Few kicks found a team-mate but he reached the right areas only for Stevenage to win most aerial battles.