Image by Tom Poole
The Minstermen lost 3-1 against Hartlepool United in the Vanarama National League at the LNER Community Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Manager Neal Ardley made three changes to the side which beat Chester FC in the week, with George Sykes-Kenworthy, Kai Kennedy and Olly Green returning to the starting XI in favour of David Stockdale (concussion protocol ruled him out), Scott Burgess and Thierry Latty-Fairweather.
Visitors Hartlepool struck their first shot early in the game, inside a minute, as Tom Crawford stung the palms of City ‘keeper Sykes-Kenworthy.
Jake Hastie soon broke the deadlock in the seventh minute, latching onto a ball over the top down the right-wing. He cut inside before dispatching low into the far side netting.
Poolies took further control on the game ten minutes later when Crawford doubled up their lead after 17 minutes played. The midfielder received the ball from Callum Cooke before driving into space and slotting into the bottom left corner.
Pressure from Hartlepool continued to cause problems for the Minstermen. Brody Paterson set up Cooke on the edge of the area in the 21st minute, who hooked his effort off target following a deflection.
A controlled half by the visitors continued to follow, with the Minstermen struggling to get a foot in the fixture.
Ryan Fallowfield stretched the game well in the 40th minute, sending in an inviting low cross which was turned away by a last-ditch Manny Onariase clearance.
Experienced veteran Nicky Featherstone all but secured the three points for Hartlepool in the 51st minute after finishing off the counter attack formed by Cooke, who drove the large majority of the pitch before line-breaking Featherstone swept home.
Defender Callum Howe looked to have struck in the 60th minute after neat work around the Hartlepool box involving Green, Kennedy and eventually Akinyemi who played it inwards.
Howe read the ball and ran into the area, latching onto the cross but sending it onto the post from a handful of yards out.
In the 80th minute, Howe surged across to put his body on the line, as Hartlepool moved the ball quickly, to deny Cooke’s effort from testing the goal.
The resulting corner saw Crawford head to test ‘keeper Sykes-Kenworthy for a second, but he swatted away.
City did notch a consolation goal late into additional time when Tyler Cordner rose highest at the near post to flick across and snatch the clean sheet from Joel Dixon.
The Minstermen return to the LNER Community Stadium on Tuesday, November 21st when they host Oxford City in the Vanarama National League.
YORK CITY: Sykes-Kenworthy, Fallowfield, Cordner, McLaughlin, Akinyemi, John-Lewis © (46’ Davies), Howe, Kennedy, Woodyard (45+3’ Latty-Fairweather), Smith (27’ Burgess), Green.
UNUSED SUBS: Watson, Kouhyar.
HARTLEPOOL: Dixon, Wallace, Hastie (63’ Burton), Cooke (86′ Umerah), Mattock, Dieseruvwe, Crawford, Onariase, Paterson (78′ Grey), Johnson, Featherstone.
UNUSED SUBS: Jameson, Wreh.
ATTENDANCE: 6,265 (1,502 Hartlepool United supporters).
WAITROSE AND PARTNERS MAN OF THE MATCH, CHOSEN BY WILLMOTT DIXON INTERIORS: Olly Green.