Three wins in a row for Minstermen

Goals from Wes York and Hamza Bencherif secured a third consecutive victory for City this afternoon against struggling Nuneaton Borough 

City dominated for nearly an hour without turning possession into goals but always looked relatively comfortable against the bottom-of-the-table side.

Winger York spurned four good opportunities to give City the lead in the first 25 minutes - hitting the post, forcing two close range saves from goalkeeper Cameron Belford, and narrowly failing to scramble the ball home at a corner. Striker Alex Kempster also saw a header blocked in the goalmouth..

Such was the extent of City's dominance that Nuneaton assistant-manager Dale Belford was even celebrating when his side won a corner after 31 minutes - much to the amusement of supporters behind the dug-out!

As the interval loomed, however, Nuneaton had grown in confidence and it took a brilliant save from City goalkeeper Adam Bartlett to flick away a downward header from striker Ryan Edmunds.

City soon begin to push Nuneaton back after the interval but referee Tom Parsons ignored strong shouts for a penalty when Rhys Sharpe appeared to handle a ball into the box from Adriano Moke.

The breakthrough finally arrived after 57 minutes when York - playing against one of his former clubs - rose unmarked to head home a freekick near the corner flag from Paddy McLaughlin.

City almost doubled the lead two minutes later when a header from Kempster was blocked on the line at a corner.

Defender David Mirfin was hurt during the battle for the ball and needed for stitches in a facial injury after a clash of heads with Sharpe.

It was Mirfin's replacement - Bencherif - who put the game beyond Nuneaton's reach - meeting a cross from fellow substitute Alex Harris with an impressive eight yard volley following a clever back-heel by Sean Newton.

City goalkeeper Bartlett was still called upon to make another impressive save in the 88th - denying Josh Lundstram a consolation from close-range.

The victory has lifted City up to 12th place in the table - still seven points adrift of the play-off zone with 10 games to play.

City: Bartlett; Griffiths, Mirfin (Bencherif 61), Newton, Ferguson; McLaughlin, Burgess, Moke; York (Harris 69), Burrow, Kempster. Unused substitutes: Law, Bencherif, Wright, Harris, Whitley.

Nuneaton Borough: C.Belford; Obeng, Sharpe, Calveley, Addison, Birch (Townsend 66), Morrison (Nabay 76), Baxendale, Edmunds (Lavelle-Moore 79), Lundstram, Allen. Unused substitutes: T.Belford, Kelly-Evans.

Referee: Tom Parsons

Attendance: 2355

GOALS:

57' Wes York

78' Hamza Bencherif 

BOOKINGS:
12' David Ferguson (City)
25' Adriano Moke (City)
77' Michael Townsend (Nuneaton)