YORK City put a tumultuous week off the field to one side on Saturday as they eased to a 4-0 win over Blyth Spartans.

The Minstermen were utterly dominant in the opening half-hour, first to everything and went three goals up through Paddy McLaughlin, Matty Brown and Mackenzie Heaney.

Blyth could do nothing against the first-half onslaught, and once Kurt Willoughby's effort hit the net, there was no coming back for the despondent visitors.

Chants against the York board could be heard throughout, while assistant manager Micky Cummins was absent from the City dugout pending the FA's decision on charges made against him in relation to betting.

The win puts York back in the National League North play-off spots.

Steve Watson made two changes to the side that started Tuesday’s defeat at Boston.

New loan signing Mitch Hancox goes straight into the side at his preferred left-back position. He relieved McLaughlin of his defensive duties, with the Northern Irishman coming back in to the midfield as the injured Michael Woods dropped out.

Up top, Kurt Willoughby – who started Tuesday night on the bench – swapped places with Mark Beck. Willoughby partnered Clayton Donaldson, whom he replaced after the veteran was booked and struggled with an ankle problem at Boston.

Midfielders Heaney and Dyson were fluid across the middle, played on opposite wings to usual so they could cut in on their preferred foot.

Ex-City striker Dan Maguire, back at his spiritual Croft Park home after two years away, was on from the start.

Maguire, who went into the game yet to score a league goal this season, was supported in attack by JJ O’Donnell, another former charge of York boss Watson while the pair were at Gateshead.

City showed good desire from the off and had the ideal start after three minutes. The Minstermen were battling well for possession, looking much the better team, and from a long Donaldson throw into the area, McLaughlin side-footed in the opener.

Fastest to the second ball on nearly every occasion, York had Blyth shellshocked. The visitors could barely get their foot on the ball, and when they did, there was a red shirt on them immediately. Still, Nicky Deverdics brought a good one-handed save from Pete Jameson with an effort from 25 yards out.

Mackenzie Heaney, following on from his starring attacking role at Boston, looked like a wind-up toy who had just been set free in the opening quarter of an hour, giving chase to – and catching – a Jameson long throw before delivering a delightful first-time through ball for Donaldson. Willoughby should have done better from the cut-back, seeing his close-range effort saved at the near post.

York did not have to wait long for the second. From a McLaughlin throw, the danger from which looked to have been cleared, Matty Brown thundered an effort from a narrow angle inside the area. It cannoned off a defender and bounced in off the far post.

Heaney was on the scoresheet 11 minutes later. Summing up the game thus far, Akil Wright played City’s first wasted pass – only for McLaughlin to regain possession immediately. City streamed forward with Donaldson on the ball and he held off the pass long enough to pull the Blyth centre-backs out of position before playing in Heaney to thump in right-footed.

Some may have wondered how long City could – and would – maintain their intensity. The answer turned out to be about 35 minutes. Three goals up and disrupted by a couple of Blyth injuries (skipper Nathan Buddle required treatment after being struck by a Heaney effort while Maguire, holding his groin, was substituted off) the Minstermen could have been forgiven for keeping back something for the second half. There were one or two groan-worthy passes as City shifted down a couple of gears but they never looked like relinquishing control.

York picked up in the second half where they had left off – slack possession here and there but the work-rate to manage it and, most importantly, another goal. Dyson, coming in from the right this time, delivered the perfect ball across the face of goal for Willoughby to tap in.

The game all but settled, City boss Watson took the opportunity to give youngster Kyle Lancaster a taste of league action, bringing him on for Donaldson in the 73rd minute.

City were enjoying their time on top and had seemed fairly content to knock the ball around further back. They probed the Blyth defence but with nowhere near the pressure of the early first half, and – shortly before he was brought off – York had just one effort on target, a tame low shot from Donaldson.

Lancaster did very well towards the end to jink into the area. When he lost the ball, Heaney collected it and dinked a curling shot onto the left-hand post.

York: Jameson 8, Fielding 8, Wright 8, Brown 8, Hancox 6, Dyson 8, McLaughlin 8, Hopper 8, Heaney 8, Willoughby 7 (Beck 6, 73), Donaldson 6 (Lancaster 7, 73). Subs not used: Campbell, Newton, Gilchrist.

Star man: Mackenzie Heaney. The award could have gone to nearly anyone in the hard-working City midfield but it goes to Heaney for his lively performance and creation of chances. McLaughlin was also brilliant in breaking up play and getting York forward.

Goals: McLaughlin (3), Brown (16), Heaney (27)

Blyth: Mitchell, Byrne, Lees, Buddle, Liddle, Hickey, Deverdics, O’Donnell, Thomson, Maguire (McKeown 38), Dale (Painter HT). Subs not used: Evans, Watson, Tear.

Yellow cards: O’Donnell

Referee: Daniel Locker

Attendance: 2,726 (209 away supporters)

Stats for York / Blyth

Shots (on target): 16 (8) / 3 (2)

Corners: 4 / 1

Offsides: 2 / 2

Fouls: 7 / 11

Yellow cards: 0 / 1