Paul Stephen reports from Field Mill
The Minstermen got back to winning ways this evening with a long range effort from Courtney Pitt.
The Stags were unable to avenge their 3-0 defeat at Bootham Crescent on Boxing Day in a game that only came to life in the second half. The home side fell behind to a 61st minute thunderbolt from Pitt before being reduced to 10 men in the closing stages and were left to rue several missed chances.
In a game where a win was vitally important in order to reignite our promotion push, David Holdsworth made three changes to the side that failed to breakdown Tamworth three days ago and had to make do with a goalless draw. In a 4-3-3 formation, Jon Challinor was passed fit to line up on the right of midfield whilst Ryan Williams made way for Andy Burgess on the left. Blair Sturrock was also recalled as part of a three pronged attack alongside Louis Briscoe and Rub Duffy.
Martin Foyle's side were desperate to end a seven game winless run and he named an attacking line up including Michael Gash and top-scorer Richard Brodie. Ex-Stags Luke Graham and Jamie Clarke both made their return to Field Mill whilst midfielder Paul Harsley was handed his debut after signing on loan from Chesterfield.
Our fourth consecutive home game got underway with the away side kicking towards the Quarry Lane End. Chances were few and far between in the opening exchanges but Michael Gash burst into the area with three minutes on the clock to register a fierce low drive aimed to Marriott's left. He saw it early, however, and made a comfortable save.
On eight minutes, a timely interception prevented Briscoe from sending Silk through on goal down the left before Rob Duffy won a free kick midway into York's half. Burgess took the set piece but curled it beyond the reach of any amber and blue shirts and out for a goalkick.
The Stags were on the offensive with quarter of an hour played and won a throw in near the corner flag. Nicholas launched it long from the left hand side where Duffy's goal-bound header was deflected behind for a corner. Burgess was the taker again and swung it into the six yard box but the danger was swiftly cleared by a red shirt.
York broke away in the 20th minute but were undone by a mix up between two of their own players. The ball fell to Ben Purkiss on the right hand byeline where he was able to get a cross in. It fell to Meredith near the edge of box who drilled his shot into the body of Courtney Pitt, who was standing a yard in front of him, and it harmlessly looped up and out of play.
Shortly before the half hour mark, Brough struggled to control the ball as it dropped to him of the edge of the area that he was defending. Brodie snuck in to steal the ball away from him and fired a snapshot at Marriott who got both hands to it but was taken by surprise with its momentum and could only direct it behind for a corner.
The home side carved out their best opportunity of the half barely a minute later when Briscoe broke away down the right. He cut into the area by playing a neat one-two move with Andy Burgess where Duffy was waiting on the edge of the six yard box. Disappointingly, Briscoe failed to find his man and his cross flashed across the face of goal and away for a throw in.
York's widemen were finding their way around the Stags' rigid 4-3-3 system and Ben Purkiss nutmegged left back Andy Nicholas and cut into the area in the 39th minute. He had red shirts in support and several options but chose to go for goal instead and screwed his shot into the side netting.
With a minute left of the half, the Stags were presented with another good chance to go in at the break a goal up when Purkiss took down Blair Sturrock just outside the 18-yard box. Burgess floated an inviting cross into the danger area but a red shirt was first to it and headed it away.
Barely a minute of added time was played out before referee Stephen Martin brought an evenly poised first half to an end.
The first chance of the second half fell to the Stags when Gary Silk put Jon Challinor through on goal in the 47th minute. Challinor did well to get his shot on target from a narrow angle to the right of the six yard box and Ingham in the visitors' goal put it behind for what was only the Stags' second corner of the game.
Roared on by the faithful, Burgess whipped over the corner but it evaded the head of the onrushing Duffy and ran all the way to the far side.
10 minutes in, Duffy pumped the ball into the left hand corner of the field for Sturrock to run onto. Sturrock got there first and turned Sangare before being hauled to the ground by a mistimed challenge from the York centre half. A free kick was given and Sangare handed the first booking of the night but Ingham was first to Mills' kick and the chance was gone.
Michael Gash went close with his header from Jamie Clarke's cross in the 59th minute before the Minstermen put themselves into the lead with a strong contender for goal of the season.
Courtney Pitt received the ball on the edge of the area and unleashed a thunderbolt from the edge of the D. Gary Silk tried in vain to block it and Marriott was well beaten as it flew past him into the top corner of the net.
The visitors could have doubled their lead two minutes later with the award of a penalty. Courtney Pitt was in the thick of the action again and skipped past three defenders in the box before going down after a challenge from Luke Foster. Contact between the two players looked minimal but a spot kick was given anyway and Foster booked for his part. Brodie stepped up to take it in an effort to bag his first goal since January and hit a well-aimed effort towards the bottom right hand corner. Marriott second guessed him, however, and saved it brilliantly by tipping it round the post for a corner.
Holdsworth responded immediately by making a double substitution as the home side sought to restore parity. Duffy made way for Kyle Perry whilst Blair Sturrock came off for Jake Speight who made his first appearance since February's home defeat to Gateshead.
Challinor saw his shot saved easily in the 71st minute before Sangare felled Kyle Perry midway into York's half on 74. There were calls for the York player to receive a second yellow card for the offence but he was let off with a lengthy talking to. Mills hit the freekick straight at the wall where it was cleared away allowing Martin Foyle to replace Sangare with David McGurk whilst he still had 11 men on the pitch. He also used the opportunity to take off Michael Gash and send on Michael Rankine to take his place in the forward line.
Things went from bad to worse for the Stags with just under 10 minutes remaining as they were reduced to 10 men. With men committed up front in search of an equaliser, a York clearance found Rankine in space who then turned and broke down the right flank at speed to get behind the Stags' back four. Luke Foster chased after him and brought him down with a challenge from behind and as he was deemed to be the last man, the ref had little option but to book him for a second time and give the former-Oxford defender his marching orders.
After a dejected looking Foster had trudged off the field, Rankine was at the centre of the action again for the subsequent freekick as he steered Courtney Pitt's effort high over the bar.
With time fast running out, the home side piled forward in search of an equaliser and after Speight shot wide on 86, the Stags won a throw in from the right byeline level with the edge of York's area. The Minstermen packed the area with bodies as they were determined not to lose their slender lead and after Challinor went long with the throw, it was flicked on by Briscoe but headed away by a Red shirt.
There were four minutes injury time for the Stags to try and salvage something but York ran it into the corners and did everything they could to keep hold of possession before finally securing the win that takes them back into the top five.
Sponsors' man of the match: Alan Marriott
Attendance: 2,638 (219 away)
Team: Marriott, Silk, Foster, Brough, Nicholas, Challinor, Mills, Burgess, Briscoe, Duffy (Perry '64), Sturrock (Speight '64).
