Photo by Tom Poole.
York City got back to winning ways with victory over Eastleigh at the LNER this afternoon.
Eastleigh got the ball moving early on and had a burst of pace down the left when Aaron Blair went charging through on goal.
City’s first chance came through the middle when Malachi Fagan-Walcott teed up Alex Newby to shoot from the edge of the box. The resulting shot went over the bar.
Mark Kitching tried his luck from a similar position. His shot was well blocked wide of the mark.
Ollie Pearce nearly bagged himself one of the goals of the season when he hit a shot on a half-volley from a tight angle, the ball flew onto the roof of the net.
Eastleigh took the lead after 18 minutes. The visitors caught the Minstermen on the break before another charging run from Blair resulted in a goal as he rolled the ball into the bottom left-hand corner.
City got a deserved equaliser after half an hour when Mark Kitching pounced on an Ollie Pearce cross to turn home York’s 100th goal in all competitions this season.
Pearce went racing through on goal moments later but his shot on the one-on-one was well saved by Nick Townsend before the rebound was fired over by Newby.
York were continuing to turn the screw and just 4 minutes after a chance from Malachi Fagan-Walcott was cleared off the line, the returning defender claimed a header at the back post to give City the lead.
The final chance of the first half resulted in a venomous shot from Ollie Banks just inside the box which flew into the side netting.
The Minstermen extended the lead 10 minutes into the second half when a Ben Brookes corner landed onto the head of Ollie Banks who placed the ball goalwards and Malachi Fagan-Walcott was there once more to get his second of the afternoon.
Eastleigh were struggling to create many chances in the second half but did try their luck from range. Josh Lundstram’s shot was easily saved by Harrison Male.
Blair was providing the Eastleigh flare and nearly got his second of the afternoon from inside the box if it wasn’t for another Male save.
Newby was looking to put Townsend into test when his shot went bouncing goalwards only to fall just wide of the left-hand post.
The final chance of the gam fell York’s way. Ollie Pearce with a great ball across the box towards Hiram Boateng. The shot was well saved down low by Nick Townsend.
York City: Male, Kitching, Fagan-Walcott, Hunt, Pearce, Brookes, King, Boateng, Banks, Johnson, Newby.
Subs: Sykes-Kenworthy, Howe, Grey, Hewitt, Batty, Olley, Williams.
Eastleigh: Townsend, Humphries, Eweka, Evans, Blair, Pierre, Lundstram, Effiong, Cousins, Giles, harris.
Subs: McNamara, Tabor, Saunders, Waruih, Stone, Underhill.
Attendance: 6,277 (60 away fans).
