Image by Tom Poole
The Minstermen won 1-0 against Aldershot at the LNER Community Stadium on Saturday afternoon in the Vanarama National League.
Lenell John-Lewis secured all three points on home soil, as Adam Hinshelwood secured a first victory as City boss too.
Hinshelwood made seven changes following Tuesday night’s game against Altrincham.
Most notable changes for City saw Rory Watson start in goal, Danny Amos return from injury, Maz Kouhyar start, and Marvin Armstrong make his home debut.
Watson stopped an early opener from dropping into the net after just two minutes, tipping over a volley from Shots captain Stuart O’Keefe.
Dipo Akinyemi tested just two minutes later, being slotted through by Billy Chadwick before sliding a shot into the palms of Jordi van Stappershoef.
City’s fast start looked to have been rewarded in the 19th minute. Chadwick curled the ball around the Aldershot ‘keeper but had it swiftly chalked off for offside.
Alex Hunt looked to have struck a cracker in the 23rd minute after his corner initially beat away, the midfielder latched on the rebound and sent the shot whistling just above the bar.
Dylan Kadji struck a venomous shot from distance, which saw Watson parry in the 28th minute. Danny Amos slid all the way through the rebound, with a Shots man chasing too, to clear away and prevent the danger.
City continued to press, and attack hard, in the opening half. Debutant Armstrong burst through in the 38th minute, getting a shot off and winning a corner.
The routine for the corner just needed a finishing touch for City. Callum Howe flung the ball back into the middle from the back post, but no City player could land a finishing boot onto the opportunity.
Shots did pummel an effort into the side netting just before half time, after their short corner caught the defence out.
The visitors did pick up a corner quickly in the second half, resulting in an O’Keefe shot being blocked away.
The Minstermen continued in the second half like they did in the opener, working hard and creating chances.
Kouhyar had a shot blocked away for a corner following Akinyemi’s touchline cut back. Howe met the resulting 55th minute corner, sending it over.
Howe had another corner to connect onto in the 60th minute, arrowing Hunt’s delivery wide with a volley.
A flurry of chances to try and break the deadlock drew blank in the 69th minute. Howe, as he did all game, connected with Hunt’s corner. His header was intercepted before it reached the goal, with Akinyemi having a shot blocked following the clearance.
A redelivery in the same phase of play saw the ball sent back in from the right-hand flank, with Ryan Fallowfield’s header then drawing a save at the far post.
Watson was soon called back into action when Shots broke up the pitch in the 73rd minute. Aldershot lined up on the break around the edge of the area, with Josh Barrett the one picked out to strike a curling, powerful hit towards the top corner.
City continued to attack the game, hungry for three points. A quick counter in the 88th minute, involving initial hold up play from Akinyemi, picked out Hunt who quickly released Kouhyar.
The winger took the ball all the way before laying off to Hunt, who bulleted a shot straight into the face of a brave Ollie Harfield.
Substitute Lenell John-Lewis, who had only been on the pitch for a matter of seconds, nodded home in the 90th minute at the back post after Howe won the initial corner delivery.
Ryan Glover had a golden chance to take a share of the points back down south, scuffing a near post shot wide in the dying seconds of the game.
YORK CITY: Watson, Fallowfield, Akinyemi, Kouhyar (89’ John-Lewis), Howe ©, Batty, Chadwick, Amos, Hunt (90+3’ McLaughlin), Latty-Fairweather (83’ Castro), Armstrong.
UNUSED SUBS: Sykes-Kenworthy, Davies.
ALDERSHOT: Van Stappershoef, Harfield, Harries, Rowe (50’ Barrett), O’Keefe ©, Frost, Tolaj (81’ Ghandour), Stokes, Glover, Daly (68’ Thomas), Kadji.
UNUSED SUBS: Widdrington, Scott.
ATTENDANCE: 4,309 (361 Aldershot supporters)
WAITROSE MAN OF THE MATCH, CHOSEN BY CITY CRUISES: Marvin Armstrong