Salisbury 3, York City 0

8:41am Monday 28th April 2008

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SALISBURY became the second part-time club to complete a comprehensive league double over York City on Saturday.

Having been humbled 4-1 and 3-1 by Cambridgeshire village team Histon already this season, City brought the curtain down on their anti-climatic 2007/2008 campaign in inauspicious fashion against quaint cathedral city side Salisbury.

The Minstermen surrendered meekly to their semi-professional hosts, whose three on-target shots all resulted in goals.

Colin Walker, speaking only slightly in jest, added at the final whistle that he hoped his fate would not mirror that of the last City manager to lose to Salisbury.

His predecessor Billy McEwan was relieved of his duties following the 3-1 home defeat back in November and Walker knows the key to his longevity in the role lies in addressing the side's season-long deficiencies over the summer.

How his team cope better with crosses into the penalty box, especially from set-pieces, will be a strong factor when recruiting new players to the club and his surprising decision to play Tom Evans on Saturday only provided complete justification for the announcement, made earlier in the week, that the former Scunthorpe 'keeper would not be retained next season.

Three crosses into the visitors' six-yard box proved City's downfall.

The first was from a free-kick swung on to Timothy Bond's head.

Matthew Robinson then provided Salisbury top scorer Matt Tubbs with a chance to beat Evans at his near post and City's humiliation was complete when a curling, right-footed Liam Feeney cross found the beleaguered 'keeper's bottom left-hand corner without anybody else getting a touch.

Walker's men had once more been rolled over far too easily and, while Histon and Salisbury may win few fans among footballing purists, they boast several ingredients essential in any successful side and lacking in City's play at the beginning and tail-end of this season.

Both Salisbury and Histon, in achieving top-half finishes during their maiden Blue Square Premier seasons, have proven that well-organised outfits with an uncompromising attitude, allied to a strong will to win, can make an impression in the highest echelon of non-League football.

Walker has certainly taken note after experiencing what amounts to 6-1 and 7-2 aggregate defeats against the two footballing minnows and has vowed his side will not be such easy pushovers next season.

City also failed in front of goal on Saturday and might even have taken the lead after just 50 seconds when David McGurk's header from a Martyn Woolford corner was blocked on the line.

Simon Rusk then released Woolford, but he failed to beat advancing home 'keeper Ryan Clarke and, when Rusk swiftly returned the ball into the box, Leo Fortune-West headed narrowly wide.

Salisbury went ahead, though, in familiar fashion on 35 minutes when fit-again defender Darren Kelly conceded a free-kick 30 yards from goal.

Feeney swung the ball into the six-yard box and unmarked centre-back Bond beat a static Evans from close range.

Two minutes later, the home side doubled their advantage with top scorer Tubbs beating Evans at his near post with a clever flick of his right boot following Robinson's left-wing cross.

The Minstermen's sole response before the interval was an opportunist effort by Ben Purkiss, who once more played as a midfield anchor man with Rusk performing wing-back duties.

Spotting Clarke off his line, Purkiss went for goal after a free-kick was awarded to City just inside the Salisbury half, but his 45-yard effort sailed narrowly over to the relief of the stranded 'keeper.

Walker switched to a 4-3-3 formation after the interval and half-time substitute Onome Sodje rattled the top of the post from eight yards after Richard Brodie's rising drive had been beaten out by Clarke.

On 71 minutes, Brodie headed over from a deep Mark Robinson cross. Jimmy Beadle then sidestepped a midfield challenge smartly before releasing Brodie down the left but headed wide from seven yards with the goal at his mercy following the striker's deflected cross.

While City were made to work hard for their openings, however, their Wiltshire hosts were gifted a third goal on 80 minutes.

This time Feeney's bending cross from the left cleared City defenders McGurk and Robinson before creeping inside a scrambling Evans' far post at snail's pace.

Evans was then fortunate not to concede a fourth when he dropped a Feeney cross only for Marvin Brown to slice wide from eight yards before referee Adam Watts mysteriously awarded a corner.

The hapless City 'keeper's subsequent successful catch was greeted by sarcastic cheers from the visiting end, illustrating how the experienced stopper's stock at the club has plummeted after keeping 20 clean sheets last season.

Salisbury's players received their fans' acclaim at the final whistle with a well-deserved lap of honour in their first Blue Square Premier season.

The visitors, for whom so much more was expected, sloped off the pitch after sheepishly acknowledging another long trek for their loyal supporters.

Match facts

Salisbury 3 (Bond 34, Tubbs 37, Feeney 80), York City 0

York City: Tom Evans 5, Danny Parslow 5, Darren Kelly 5, David McGurk 6, Ben Purkiss 6, Jimmy Beadle 6, Simon Rusk 6, Martyn Woolford 5, Andy McWilliams 6, Leo Fortune-West 5, Richard Brodie 5.

Substitutions: Onome Sodje (for Rusk, 46) 5, Mark Robinson (for McWilliams, 46) 6, Adam Boyes (for Fortune-West, 58) 6.

Subs not used: Mimms, Shepherd.

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: Beadle - played with more purpose than most in a lacklustre team performance.

Salisbury City: Ryan Clarke, Jonathan Bass, Timothy Bond, Aaron Cook, Matthew Robinson (Craig Richards, 84), Darrell Clarke (Marvin Brown, 81), Wayne Turk, Ian Herring (Tommy Widdrington, 78), Robert Sinclair, Liam Feeney, Matthew Tubbs.

Subs not used: James Bittner, Nicolas Eastham.

Shots on target: Salisbury 3 York 6

Shots off target: Salisbury 7 York 6

Corners: Salisbury 4 York 4

Fouls conceded: Salisbury 13 York 11

Offsides: Salisbury 4 York 5

Yellow cards: Feeney 3, Beadle 24, Herring 40.

Referee: Adam Watts (Kidderminster).

Rating: made glaring mistakes and over officious.

Attendance: 1,400.

Shot of the match: Purkiss' 45-yard attempt to catch Ryan Clarke off his line from a first-half free-kick.

Laugh of the match: When substitute Brown fell over trying to take a throw-in but somehow avoided being penalised for a foul throw.

City player watch: Darren Kelly

Goal attempts on target: 0

Goal attempts off target: 1

Blocked goal attempts: 0

Passes to own player: 4

Passes to opposition: 2

Crosses to own player: 0

Crosses to opposition: 0

Pass success rate: 66.7 per cent

Dribbles ball retained: 0

Dribbles ball lost: 0

Dribbles success rate: 0 per cent

Headers: 26

Tackles: 3

Fouls won: 0

Fouls conceded: 2

Clearances, Blocks and Interceptions: 10

Offsides: 0

Bookings: 0

Final summary: Kelly started off in determined fashion on his return to the team, winning floods of early headers as Salisbury adopted a direct approach during the early stages. Conceded two fouls in dangerous positions, though, with the first leading to Salisbury's first goal. Only attempted six passes, illustrating his preference for clearing his lines rather than playing the ball out from the back.