York City fell to their eighth defeat of the season away at Braintree Town on Saturday afternoon.
After John Akinde had put the hosts ahead 25 minutes in, Josh Stones hit back with an equaliser ten minutes later, however Jermaine Francis’ second-half strike ended up being the match winner for the Iron.
The first chance of the game fell to the hosts. Chay Cooper shooting the ball at goal from inside the box but Harrison Male got down well to push the ball away.
City’s first shot of note came in the 14th minute. Tyrese Sinclair with some clever footwork in the box allowed him space to shoot but Henry Gray made the save.
Braintree were attacking the game in the opening 20 minutes and came close again when Marley Marshall-Miranda let fly from outside the box. His shot just falling short of the left-hand post.
The hosts’ early pressure paid off, a ball through towards John Akinde was met by the veteran striker who rolled the ball past Male and into the net.
City were building for an equaliser and came close to doing so when Sinclair hit a sweet shot on the volley but the Braintree defence put in a smart block to deny him.
The resulting corner was to be a successful one, the ball being deflected on and into the path of Josh Stones who drilled the ball home from inside the box.
York registered the first chance of the second half when Dan Batty played a clever ball out-wide to Junior Luamba who shot first time whilst off-balance and the resulting shot went over the bar.
A lively second half was building up. Sinclair again with a shot at goal from inside the box but Aidan Francis-Clarke was there on the line to put in the block.
In an end-to-end game every chance was proving to be vital to both teams. Kyreece Lisbie launched a rocket at goal in the 59th minute but he could only find the stand behind the goal.
Braintree pounced to retake the lead in the 66th minute. A cross from the right-hand side was met by substitute Jermaine Francis at the back-post who nodded the ball in.
The Minstermen were looking for another quick response which nearly came in the form of a Callum Howe header from a Batty corner but the ball just evaded the crossbar.
Seven minutes were added on at the end, but the best that City could do was a Ricky Aguiar cross straight into the arms of the ‘keeper, as they fell to defeat in Essex.
BRAINTREE TOWN: Gray, Clampin, Langston, Pinnington, Francis-Clarke, Marshall-Miranda, Robinson, Cooper (Blackwell 69′), Kyrell Lisbie (Francis 62′), Akinde, Kyreece Lisbie (Okunowo 88′).
UNUSED SUBS: Nielsen, Judge.
YORK CITY: Male, Crookes (Fallowfield 61′), Howe, Sinclair (Nathaniel-George 77′), Hunt (Chadwick 86′), Pearce, Batty (Aguiar 86′), Felix, Stones, Fagan-Walcott, Luamba (John-Lewis 62′).
UNUSED SUBS: Watson, Richardson.
ATTENDANCE: 1137 (371 away).
