Image by Tom Poole
The Minstermen lost 2-0 away at Oldham Athletic in the Vanarama National League on Tuesday night.
In search of back-to-back victories, manager Neal Ardley made one change to the starting XI, with Alex Hurst starting in place of Kai Kennedy.
Striker Joe Nuttall registered the first meaningful shot of the game after just two minutes, heading through the ball well but guiding it just wide of the goal.
The hosts took the lead in the eighth minute through the aforementioned forward when he picked up the ball on the right-hand side from Devarn Green, cutting inwards just inside the area and curling it to the far post on his weaker left foot.
Nuttall looked to add to his and Oldham’s tally in the 19th minute, driving a long shot down the middle after finding himself in space far from the edge of the area.
A defensive mix-up at the back gave Kurt Willoughby an opening in the 25th minute to latch onto a weak ball and power an effort at goal, which was blocked away for a corner.
Winger Maziar Kouhyar eyed up an opportunity two minutes later, latching onto a ball from Dipo Akinyemi, striking sweetly, but a deflection nullified the shot for Oldham ‘keeper Mathew Hudson.
City grew into the game further in the 29th minute, working the ball around the area before Akinyemi eventually teed up Dan Batty who drilled into the gloves of Hudson.
Confidence grew in the City side who continued to work openings at Oldham’s backline in the 33rd minute, this time with Thierry Latty-Fairweather pulling the trigger near post on his right foot to earn a corner after Alex Hurst whistled a shot wide within the phase too.
Green won the Latics a corner shortly after the second half recommenced, taking aim from distance and having it deflected out.
Some good twisting and turning from Latty-Fairweather down the left-hand flank saw Batty teed up again for a shot from distance in the 49th minute, which again glided into the gloves of Latics’ ‘keeper Hudson.
Substitute Zanda Siziba drove well in the 57th minute, unlocking space inside the area but a poor touch let the winger down and allowed the Latics defence to retreat.
The Latics hit the post on the counter-attack in the 67th minute after Brennan Dickinson rushed into the area and lashed his strike onto the woodwork.
Oldham and Nuttall continued to threaten City’s net, with the forward sending a looping header from a set piece just upwards of the crossbar.
Siziba looked to get City firing again in the latter exchanges, stroking the ball low in the 76th minute to yield an easy save for Hudson.
Oldham doubled their advantage in the 79th minute through substitute Alex Reid who pounced on a bouncing ball to beat the Minstermen defence and Ryan Whitley.
OLDHAM: Hudson, Kitching, Hogan, Hobson, Willoughby (68’ Reid), Nuttall, Sheron, Green, Gardner, Sutton, Dickenson (77’ Hope).
UNUSED SUBS: Norman, Shelton, Fondop.
YORK CITY: Whitley, Fallowfield, Crookes, Cordner, Hurst (47’ Siziba), Dyson, Akinyemi, Kouhyar (73’ Castro), John-Lewis (85’ Kennedy), Batty, Latty-Fairweather.
UNUSED SUBS: McLaughlin, Howe.
ATTENDANCE: 6,611 (745 York City Supporters)