5 Things We Learned from York City's 3-2 win at Alfreton Town

The Minstermen’s tally of 14 shots at the Impact Arena during their new manager’s third game in charge has only been bettered once in a league game this term – during the 2-0 home win over Blyth Spartans on August bank-holiday Monday. The reward was the highest number of away goals for the team in more than a year since the 5-3 January 2018 triumph at Telford.

Alfreton might not boast the division’s best defence, but the previous weekend’s opponents Chorley do and, even though Watson’s men went down 4-1 in that contest, they still managed the same number of shots on target (seven), as they did against the Derbyshire hosts. That figure, meanwhile, has also only been beaten once by a City team in National League North this season when eight were mustered during the 4-2 September success against Guiseley.

Watson has insisted from the start of his tenure that he would have an attacking mindset and that assertion is bring borne out by initial statistics. 

2 The Minstermen still struggle to get their noses in front at half-time

Steve Watson rightly argued that his side dominated the opening 45 minutes at Alfreton with Adam Bartlett not making a single save before the break. But, with Reece Styche cancelling out Sean Newton’s opener from the penalty spot, the Minstermen still headed into the interval on level terms.

Such a scenario is symptomatic of City’s season with the team having only led twice at half-time in their last 15 National League North contests. Furthermore, the Bootham Crescent outfit have failed to net during the first period in 19 of their 28 league games, hitting the target just 12 times from minutes one to 45 this term.

In the opening quarter of Saturday’s fixture, the visitors enjoyed five sights of the Alfreton goal, compared to two half-chances for ex-Minsterman Tom Platt at the other end. But a failure to add to Newton’s 11th-minute effort saw the home side eventually settle into their stride when capitalising better on a flying start would have firmly put Watson’s men in the ascendancy.

Indeed, on the only two occasions City have managed to score more than once during first halves this season – at home to Darlington and Guiseley – they have gone on to complete 4-0 and 4-2 victories respectively. As thrilling as the late comeback proved, after Styche’s brace had turned the tables, Watson will be looking for his team to demonstrate a greater capacity to seize the initiative in games at an earlier point.

3 Reece Styche presents a compelling argument for the recruitment of part-time players

Since City’s relegation to National League North, 29-year-old journeyman Styche has netted five times in three games against the Bootham Crescent club for as many different clubs – Tamworth, Darlington and now Alfreton. He even had the chance to make that tally six, before blasting the second penalty he had won for his side against the crossbar at the Impact Arena.

Nevertheless, despite Styche’s eagerness to adopt the pantomime villain role, City supporters must still look on with a little envy in relation to the havoc he has repeatedly caused their side at sixth-tier level. Along with the likes of Stockport’s attacking midfielder Matty Warburton and centre-back Andy Teague, of Chorley, Styche is one of a small band of consistent, stand-out performers that the Minstermen have been pitted against in regionalised football.

All three also share a preference for part-time football, while pursuing stable careers outside of the game, presenting a strong case for the notion that the best players at this level are unlikely to be professionals. Styche’s day job is in accountancy and, while chairman Jason McGill has declared that the club will never go semi-professional under his watch, the afore-mentioned trio do beg the question as to whether some leading part-time performers could be assimilated into the squad without giving up their main vocation.

It would be a move not without precedent as floor-fitter Steve Bowey helped the club to the Conference play-off semi-finals in 2007 under Billy McEwan, while continuing to run his own business.

4 Steve Watson is still searching for the right people in the right places to suit his favoured formation

City have fielded their new manager’s preferred 3-5-2 system during the last two matches, but top-scoring striker Jordan Burrow, central-midfielder Paddy McLaughlin and left-sided defender Tom Bradbury are the only three players to have completed both 90 minutes in the same roles. The wing-back positions in such a line-up remain crucial and Watson swapped Wes York and David Ferguson for Kallum Griffiths and Sean Newton at Alfreton.

Newton provided exactly what Watson is looking for on the flanks for the first 20 minutes, scoring and threatening on a couple more occasions as he raided forward at every given opportunity, but he was not as prominent thereafter. Griffiths – one of the side’s most consistent performers at right back this term - was less effective when asked to provide attacking impetus whilst York drove the team forward more following his introduction.

The former’s selection merits remain high, though, with a return to the midfield duties he filled under Sam Collins one option, as Saturday’s triumvirate of McLaughlin, Scott Burgess and Josh Law struggled to impose themselves on proceedings at times.

5 City’s team is quickly evolving

Only four outfield players - Hamza Bencherif, Jordan Burrow, Kallum Griffiths and Josh Law – from Sam Collins’ final first XI featured in Steve Watson’s third game at the helm. Bencherif and Griffiths were both substituted too.

On-loan centre-half David Mirfin, meanwhile, enjoyed a strong debut at the back, offering genuine optimism that Watson is on the right road to addressing the need for greater defensive steel and cohesion. With at least one more addition expected imminently, Watson could swiftly be in a position where he is able to field half a team of his own signings.