Downcast winger Gordon Connelly declared York City were just a lucky break away from returning to the winning path.

City defender Andy McMillan, hidden centre, sees his shot tipped away by Macclesfield goalkeeper Ryan Price.

The winger's verdict was delivered after he was left in disbelief at City's 2-0 home fall to promoted club Macclesfield Town last night.

It was the fifth defeat suffered by the Minstermen in their last six games. Though City remain in 16th place in the Division Two table their hapless run has only been temporarily halted by Connelly's strike against previous visitors Notts County in a 1-1 draw last weekend.

Last night City could not even take advantage of numerical superiority once Macclesfield midfielder Martin McDonald was sent off in the 72nd-minute after an ugly tangle with Neil Tolson that left the City man on the turf clutching his chin.

But it was the hosts who suffered the ultimate knockout blow, bowing to defeat after the Silkmen snatched two decisive first-half goals.

Connelly conceded that if City played another game right after the profit-less 90 minutes against Macclesfield they probably still would not have found the net.

"We all cannot belief just what has gone wrong. We created chances galore in the second-half but could not put them away. We just need a lucky break, a deflection, something to get us on the winning track again."

As he looked ahead to the FA Cup first round tie at Enfield - his FA Cup baptism - Connelly said only hard work and getting off to the best possible start would restore confidence and conquest to the Minstermen.

"We got off to a poor start. We never got going until the second-half. But if we had have scored early on in the game I think we'd have won," said the winger.

"Enfield are going to raise their game, so we will have to be on our guard. But hopefully we can get a win. That's all we need - a win."

City manager Alan Little refused to be over-critical of his charges insisting the display was not 'the load of rubbish' chanted by an irate home crowd.

"Yes I fully understand the crowd's frustration. We are not happy with the result," declared the City boss.

"But the team has created enough chances to win. We just never took them.

"Our lack of confidence in the first-half was evident, but we have lost the game to a team that delivered two balls into the box and scored two goals.

"They have had nine men back behind the ball and we have penned them in.

"I don't think it was a load of rubbish. It just didn't happen for us."

NO RUSH FOR WAYNE

by Dave Stanford

Under pressure Alan Little is refusing to jump the gun by rushing defender Wayne Hall back from injury.With City reserves visiting Stockport County tonight in their Pontin's League division two clash, City boss Little - with an eye on Saturday's FA Cup clash with Enfield - is resisting the temptation of giving hamstring injury victim Hall a run out.

Hall, injured in the 3-1 defeat at Millwall last month, resumed light training this week and the City boss has admitted he has an outside chance of making the trip to the capital.

"But you have to be careful with hamstring injuries," said Little. "He will be stepping up his training this week, which is good news, but we are not rushing anything."

Meanwhile, Little revealed midfield schemer Alan Pouton was due to have a scan today on his troublesome ankle injury that has seen him miss the last seven games.

Player coach Neil Thompson is also due to undergo a scan in the next 48 hours in a bid to get to the bottom of his niggling Achilles injury.

Tonight's match has extra significance for the Minstermen's second string.

City are currently tied on 12 points with Stockport in mid-table, but lie one place below County on goal difference.

Victory tonight will not only see City leapfrog over Stockport but move to within a point of rivals Scarborough, who currently lie third in the division.

City will be anxious to get back to winning ways after losing 2-1 to Newcastle United last month - a defeat that ended a five match unbeaten run.

York City reserves: Mimms, Fox, Rennison, Walters, Reed, Dawson, Bullock, Himsworth, Rowe, Woods, Prendergast.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.