Photo by Adam Davy.
York City hit Braintree for five in a dominant performance at the LNER this afternoon.
It took just four minutes for York to take the lead in another quickfire start. Mark Kitching with a ball out to the left, and there was Ben Brookes to feed in a cross to the boot of Ollie Pearce, who guided the ball into the net.
Morgan Williams got in on the action on his home debut when he fired a shot just over the bar from a rebound from a Hiram Boateng corner.
Braintree’s first chance came in the 11th minute. Lewis Walker finding room to shoot from the edge of the box but he saw his shot denied down low by Harrison Male.
York doubled the lead in the 18th minute. Josh Stones with a shot from the edge of the box which was parried down low by Mason Terry but only into the path of Greg Olley who dinked the ball over the keeper to extend the lead.
The lead was extended to three after just 22 minutes. A scramble in the box allowed Ollie Pearce to once again get a crucial touch to bounce the ball past Terry and into the back of the net.
Some great play from City once more saw Hiram Boateng with room to shoot from just inside the box. He placed the ball into the bottom left-hand corner to find York’s fourth goal after just 27 minutes.
Josh Stones had the final chance of the first half when he fired over with a shot from the edge of the box.
Greg Olley thought he’d bagged his second of the afternoon when he rounded Terry before placing the ball in. After a short delay the flag was raised for an offside in the build-up.
Jeff King went in search of a fifth goal when he fed in a teasing cross into Ollie Pearce. Pearce placed his header just over the bar.
The fifth did come in the 60th minute with another hat-trick for Ollie Pearce who gathered onto the end of an Olley through ball before placing it into the bottom right-hand corner.
Olley was enjoying his afternoon at the LNER and nearly had himself another assist if it wasn’t for a diving save from Terry to deny Joe Grey from inside the box.
York nearly added a sixth with 15 to play. Alex Hunt with a teasing ball to the back post which met Grey who saw his shot well saved by Terry but the ball fell to Alex Newby who shot at goal but he somehow saw his effort cleared off the line.
Olley created himself another chance shortly after but his shot from just inside the box bounced inches wide of the right-hand post.
Grey was looking lively and came close again when a shot from the edge of the box whistled over the bar.
There were to be no late goals in this encounter as the Minstermen cruised to victory.
York City: Male, Kitching, Hunt, Stones, Pearce, Brookes, King, Boateng, Olley, Williams, Johnson.
Subs: Sykes-Kenworthy, Fallowfield, Howe, Grey, Batty, Banks, Newby.
Braintree Town: Terry, Francis-Clarke, Langston, Omroe, Vennings, Walker, Babic, Pinnington, Hubbard, Drake, Thorpe.
Subs: Emmanuel-Thomas, Cooper, Akinde, Kamara, Massiah-Edwards, Logan.
Attendance: 6,477 (64 away fans).
