York City 2, Hayes & Yeading 0 (From York Press)

Match report: York City 2, Hayes & Yeading 0

11:32am Monday 5th March 2012 in News By Dave Flett, Sports reporter

BRAZILIAN legend Pele once masterminded a famous Escape To Victory.

But a visiting side, amusingly boasting his Hayes & Yeading namesake, never looked like forging a successful getaway from Bootham Crescent on Saturday.

York City made hard work of their 2-0 win, failing to muster a single shot during the opening 35 minutes before Lanre Oyebanjo broke the deadlock in the second half and Jason Walker scored from the penalty spot in stoppage time.

Against limited opposition, though, the Minstermen were rarely troubled at the other end of the pitch as Hayes stretched their telling record of failing to take a single point at any of the Blue Square Bet Premier’s top-half teams to an eighth match.

City boss Gary Mills was forced into one change with captain Chris Smith suspended, allowing Jon Challinor to follow Erik Tonne, Scott Brown and James Meredith in becoming the fourth different player in five games to line up alongside Scott Kerr and Paddy McLaughlin in midfield since the departure of Andre Boucaud.

The Minstermen are still, however, struggling to retain possession with the same level of finesse and panache in that area of the pitch as they managed during the opening months of the season.

Walker, though, did manage to end a goal drought stretching back to October when he converted a stoppage-time penalty to net for the first time in ten matches.

Earlier, a lack of composure and invention had blighted the hosts’ first-half play.

Aside from a couple of blocked Walker efforts, Hayes created the opening opportunities but Julian Owusu missed the target with a poorly sliced 20-yard shot and a far-post header.

On-loan Stevenage striker Michael Thalassitis also failed to unduly test Michael Ingham with a hopeful 30-yard volley, while Mark Bentley’s header bounced harmlessly wide on 22 minutes.

Yassin Moutouakil then struck the outside of Ingham’s near post from a right-wing cross before the hosts finally threatened the visitors’ goal.

An attempted edge-of-the-box lob by Ashley Chambers was clawed away for a corner by United ’keeper Steve Arnold.

Chambers then sidefooted across the face of goal after bursting through the left channel.

Moments after the restart, Walker lifted a 25-yard free-kick over while Luke Williams could only force a routine save from Ingham for Hayes.

Kerr then hoisted a 56th-minute shot out of the ground after exchanging passes with Chambers at the end of a promising move.

But, within seconds, the Minstermen were in front.

Meredith set off on a purposeful run down the left flank before releasing McLaughlin who, from near the corner flag, delivered a cross into the six-yard box where Oyebanjo was waiting to direct a firmly struck, well-controlled volley past Arnold.

After Thalassitis shot straight at Ingham on the hour, City substitute Adriano Moké and Chambers both saw edge-of-the-box efforts saved with the Minstermen now pairing Oyebanjo and Daniel Parslow together in the middle of defence due to Chris Doig limping off following fellow centre-back Ben Gibson’s first-half injury.

Moké also drove over after cutting in from the left flank before Hayes lost a player and a second goal during injury time.

First, Dan Spence was sent off for a second bookable offence and, then, after City sub Matthew Blinkhorn had won a header, Walker went to ground having attempted to round Arnold.

The former Barrow and Luton forward, who missed his last penalty against Ebbsfleet, converted emphatically, drilling a low shot slightly to the left of Arnold.

Pele, by then incidentally, had been substituted following a performance that was more sombre than Samba.

Match facts

York City 2 (Oyebanjo 57; Walker 90 (pen)), Hayes & Yeading 0

York City: Michael Ingham 7, Lanre Oyebanjo 8, Ben Gibson 7, Chris Doig 7, James Meredith 7, Scott Kerr 9, Paddy McLaughlin 6, Jon Challinor 6, Matty Blair 7, Jason Walker 6, Ashley Chambers 6.

Subs: Daniel Parslow 7 (for Gibson, 23), Adriano Moké 7 (for Doig, 60), Matthew Blinkhorn (for Chambers, 83).

Not used: Reed, Pilkington.

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

Star man: Kerr – constantly in right positions to anticipate second balls, break up play and drive his team on.

Hayes & Yeading: Steve Arnold, Yassin Moutouakil, Tom Cadmore, Phil Walsh, Dan Spence, Jamie Hand, Pele (Tom Collins, 80), Mark Bentley (Freddie Warren, 66), Luke Williams, Julian Owusu (Daniel Wishart, 78), Michael Thalassitis.

Subs not used: Toby Ajala, James Beasant.

Booked: Challinor 25, Spence 28, Williams 54, Arnold 90.

Sent off: Spence 90.

Shots on target: York 5, Hayes 4.

Shots off target: York 5, Hayes 4.

Corners: York 7, Hayes 1.

Offsides: York 5, Hayes 3.

Fouls conceded: York 10, Hayes 17.

Referee: Seb Stockbridge (Gateshead). Rating: Spence was slightly unfortunate to be red carded but Arnold probably should have been.

Attendance: 2,603 (32 from Hayes).

Moment of the match: The 80th-minute announcement Pele was being substituted at Bootham Crescent.