Flat showing from York City as they lose 1-0 to Halifax

Rob Harker’s first-half effort opened the scoring for Halifax and proved to be enough as the hosts held on to their clean sheet.

Town’s early attacking moves suggested they would get at least one goal, with Jamie Cooke’s the best of them all before Harker's strike, his shot from the edge of the box thrashing against the woodwork.

Alex Whittle’s wayward strike from range was City’s first and only shot of the first half, with Maziar Kouhyar’s stoppage time effort that sailed just over the only attempt on goal of the second half.

Captain Lenell John-Lewis forced Sam Johnson into a save just before half-time, but the striker was ruled to be offside.

The Minstermen struggled to replicate the display they produced just three days earlier, when York thrashed Barnet 5-0 at The Hive Stadium.

Halifax defended well, their backline repelling so many of City’s attacking moves, often before they had truly begun.

City, who had the chance to rise into a play-off position with a win, have instead remained ninth in the Vanarama National League.

Manager John Askey kept faith in the side that had beaten Barnet, naming a completely unchanged team.

Though City are a side that are increasingly returning to full fitness, attacker Manny Duku remained absent from the team through injury.

Halifax started the match brightly, breaking forward from kick-off and earning a corner in the opening 30 seconds.

Former City midfielder Luke Summerfield whipped in a dangerous ball that found Jesse Debrah, his glancing header going just wide of the far post.

Just minutes later the Shaymen were again breaking forward. The ball found Kian Spence on the right wing who did brilliantly to shimmy through the York defence.

He broke into the box and unleashed a shot, but it was low and tame, an easy effort for City shot-stopper Ethan Ross to gather.

Halifax thought they’d opened the scoring through Harker with just over 10 minutes having been played.

The forward had the ball in the net, but the goal was disallowed after a high boot in the build up.

The effort was followed up by a strike from Milli Alli, the winger firing just wide of the mark.

York captain Lenell John-Lewis did well under pressure to shift the ball out wide to Fallowfield. The right-back battled down the wing and earned City a corner.

Played into the box by Kouhyar, the corner was easily gathered by Sam Johnson, but play was halted as Fallowfield collapsed in pain.

The right-back was swiftly removed from the pitch, being replaced by Mitch Hancox.

City’s first and only shot of the first half came from Whittle. The left-back, having ranged forward, received a pass from John-Lewis.

Going for goal, Whittle could only fire his effort well over the Halifax bar.

Ross was forced into a diving save soon after through another Town attack. Jack Senior thundered forward from left-back, finding Spence.

The midfielder fired a shot towards goal that was well parried by the Minstermen’s number one.

The Shaymen took the lead just before the half-hour mark. Breaking down the right again, Spence drilled a cross into the box.

The ball found Harker and though Ross got a touch on the shot, he could not stop it crossing the line.

Town nearly doubled their lead when Cooke’s shot thrashed off the crossbar. The rebound came to Alli, who could only fire wide.

York thought they had carved a chance out when John-Lewis forced Johnson into a save, but the striker was ruled to be offside.

City started the second half with a back four, Fraser Kerr having made way for Luke James at the break.

It was the Shaymen once again who had the first chance of the half. Senior broke forward and squared the ball across to Spence. The midfielder’s shot was denied only by a brilliant one-on-one save from Ross.

York pressed further as the game progressed, looking to reduce their one-goal deficit.

They were caught out by Halfiax on one such occasion, the hosts breaking through a counter attack that ended in a shot from Cooke, that was a simple claim for Ross.

City had a penalty appeal not long after the hour mark. Kouhyar did well to create space on the wing and fire in a cross.

His attempted ball in was blocked by Tylor Golden and though many City fans and players thought it struck the Halifax defender’s hand, no penalty was given.

Olly Dyson, who grew into the match particularly in the second half, was a source of some threat on the right hand side.

One of his crosses looked for John-Lewis in the box, but the striker could not connect with the ball, missing by just inches.

In York’s final forward move of the night, the ball was played to Kouhyar who unleashed a shot from the edge of the box.

Though a good idea, he could not place his effort on target and could only watch it go over the bar.

York: Ross 6, Fallowfield (Hancox 22’, 5), Kouogun, 5 Kerr 5 (James 45’, 4), Sanders 5, Whittle 6, Pybus 5, Dyson 6, Kouhyar 6, Hurst 5 (Mafuta 77’), John-Lewis (C) 5

Unused subs: Whitley, Greaves

Yellow cards: Hancox (41’), John-Lewis (88’)

York City’s star man: Maziar Kouhyar. The attacker was looking to create when he could and had York’s best effort on goal. Ethan Ross and Olly Dyson also had solid performances, the latter particularly in the second half.

Halifax Town: Johnson, Golden, Senior, Debrah, Arthur, Keane (C), Summerfield, Spence (Gilmour 87’), Cooke, Harker (Dieseruvwe 75’), Alli (Slew 71’)

Unused subs: Hunter, Clarke

Goals: Harker (28’)

Yellow cards: Senior (45’), Golden (53’), Spence (67’), Dieseruvwe (78’)

Stats for FC Halifax Town v York City:

Shots (on target): 13 (7) | 2 (0)

Corners: 3 | 3

Offsides: 1 | 0

Fouls committed: 10 | 8

Attendance: 2,548

Referee: Ed Duckworth