5 Things We Learned from York City's 2-0 win against Nuneaton

Martin Gray was always adamant that City’s full-time status should bear its rewards in the latter stages of games, when the team’s supposed superior fitness levels would prove pivotal. His assertion never really looked convincing, though, with a plethora of part-time teams often lasting the distance better than the Minstermen.

The club’s record for late goals under new boss Steve Watson might suggest, however, that the squad’s fully professional set-up might just be belatedly making a difference. Seven of City’s 12 goals under Watson have now been scored in the last 20 minutes of matches, with five coming from the 83rd-minute mark onwards.

That nap hand of late strikes has been worth five points and four league positions to the team and, whilst Hamza Bencherif’s 78th-minute second goal against Nuneaton didn’t prove decisive in terms of securing maximum points, it did ensure the Minstermen enjoyed a two-goal cushion at that stage of the game for only the third league match this term. On the other occasions, Guiseley were seen off 4-2 and Darlington defeated 4-0.

2 Alex Harris remains a go-to man for assists

A dozen players have made more starts for City than Alex Harris this season, but only one – Jordan Burrow – has claimed more assists for the team. Harris’ precise cross for Bencherif’s volleyed strike represented the sixth goal he has created this term, which is two more than any of his team-mates, other than Burrow, who has contributed ten.

That is a healthy return for a player who has only kicked off one game since December 8 and failed to feature at all in six of the 13 subsequent fixtures. Along with the part he played in Bencherif’s goal, Harris also had two shots during his 21-minute cameo, forcing away keeper Cam Belford into a smart save with the second.

With his two goals this season having come against FA Cup minnows Ashton Athletic and this weekend’s hosts Leamington, there have been question marks about Harris’ ability to make his creative presence felt against the division’s better sides and he’ll now need to demonstrate that he isn’t just somebody who is effective when the going’s good.

3 The team are unlocking new goal sources

An over-dependency on the team’s main striker has proved problematic for City during the past two seasons. Last term, an untimely suspension and injury for 25-goal talisman Jon Parkin completely derailed the side’s play-off bid during a run-in to the end of the campaign that saw the side fail to net in five of their final six fixtures.

Similarly, from September 22 to February 9, the Minstermen had not won a match without leading marksman Jordan Burrow on the scoresheet. But, during the last two triumphs, a full-back (Kallum Griffiths), centre-half (Hamza Bencherif) and midfielder (Scott Burgess) have been responsible for three of the four goals.

Burrow, on 17 goals, has still netted a dozen more times than anybody else in the squad, with fellow forwards Jake Wright and the loaned-out Macaulay Langstaff his nearest challengers. But, with recent recruits Paddy McLaughlin and David Mirfin the only outfield players in Saturday’s side not to have netted for City in 2018/19 and both boasting past records that suggest they will weigh in before the end of the season, the club’s capacity to spread goals more evenly across the squad suddenly looks enhanced.

4 City’s form at Bootham Crescent is worthy of a play-off place

The Minstermen remain in the bottom half of the National League North table, but their record of 27 points on their own soil is only bettered by six sides in the division, with a tally of eight home wins just two fewer than leaders Chorley and one less than play-off hopefuls Stockport, Brackley, Telford and Chester. City have also taken just one point fewer than Spennymoor in front of their own fans, despite the north-east club being in a position to go two points clear at the top should they win their game in hand.

Top-four teams Stockport (1-0) and Brackley (2-1) have both been seen off at Bootham Crescent this term and, with current play-off placed trio Altrincham, Spennymoor and Telford still to visit North Yorkshire before the end of the season, there might just be further scope to close the current seven-point gap to those leading seven positions. Conversely, the Minstermen’s away record is the third-worst in the division after Chester and Nuneaton, having accrued fewer points on the road than Ashton United and FC United of Manchester, who are both mired in the relegation zone.

Bradford Park Avenue will be the only top-seven side that City visit during their ten-game run-in and, having secured successive successes on their travels under Steve Watson, there is added optimism that the discrepancy between home and away form can be lessened.

5 Saturday nights are alright again for City fans

On too many occasions, City supporters have seen their weekends ruined by a sorry performance from their team in recent years. But, for the first time since Nigel Worthington was masterminding an unexpected late charge into the League Two play-offs in March 2014, the Minstermen have managed to rattle off four Saturday wins on the spin.

There are few better feelings for a football fan than sitting down in front of Match of the Day or enjoying a Saturday night out with that satisfying glow of having seen your team taste victory that afternoon and, while defeating Alfreton, Ashton United, Kidderminster and Nuneaton, might seem a world away from overcoming Exeter, Wimbledon, Wycombe and Portsmouth, as Worthington’s charges did five years ago, it is more enjoyable than the three preceding weekends, which oversaw demoralising defeats to Curzon Ashton, Chorley and Stockport.