Image by Adam Davy
The Minstermen lost 4-2 against Barnet in the Vanarama National League on Tuesday night at the LNER Community Stadium.
Starts were handed to new loan incomings Aiden Marsh up top, and Will Smith for the suspended Tyler Cordner and injured Adam Crookes.
The game needed no introduction to spark into life, Dipo Akinyemi won the first corner for City in under a minute, picking the ball up inside the area and smartly drilling a shot to win it.
City took the lead in the 6th minute through Akinyemi after midfielder Dan Batty won the ball through an interception, he fed Aiden Marsh who threaded through Akinyemi for the one-on-one which resulted in a cool lob over Laurie Walker.
Barnet thought they’d tied the game in the 11th minute after good work down the right unlocked Nicke Kabamba in the area, the cross was tapped in but flagged by the linesman.
Harry Pritchard did then level the game up a minute later when the ball fall to the midfielder inside the area from the left-hand side, he struck on the half volley to guide it into the net.
Captain Pritchard then went for another half volley, this time further outside the area, but that one fizzed over the bar.
The game took a calmer approach from there, with Zanda Siziba waking up the Barnet backline in the 28th minute down the right-hand side to flash a cross through Barnet’s boz and out for a corner.
Akinyemi then did the same again the 30th minute, driving well down the left-hand side to work a cross into the area which couldn’t be met and tapped in by the Minstermen.
Barnet looked to set the tempo following the break when Reece Hall-Johnson whipped in a ball, a header was met but Ryan Whitley was down swifty to gather.
Clear cut chances become dry in the second half with neither side able to carve open the defence to unlock opportunities.
Idriss Kanu rolled Barnet into the lead in the 65th minute after dodging the Minstermen defence to wrong-foot Whitley and send it rolling into the net.
Barnet doubled their advantage three minutes later through right-back Hall-Johnson who latched onto a deep cross to loop the ball over Whitley and into the far-side of the net.
Hall-Johnson then struck the post in the 72nd minute after nipping inside and bursting through down the right-hand flank, but a heavy touch just put a extra stretch onto the shot which struck the woodwork.
The Bees right-back continued to cause problems for the Minstermen in the 75th minute, finding space outside the area to cut onto his right and curl an effort which Whitley held well.
Zak Brunt added a fourth for Barnet in the 82nd minute, brushing a free header past Whitley from inside the area.
Akinyemi netted his second in the 90th minute, racing through one-on-one again and turning the pace on against Okimo to prod past Walker on his left foot.
YORK CITY: Whitley, Fallowfield, Akinyemi, Kouhyar, Howe, Batty, Marsh (66’ Harriott), Siziba (46’ Dyson), Woodyard (80’ McLaughlin), Latty-Fairweather, Smith.
UNUSED SUBS: Watson, Kennedy.
BARNET: Walker, Hall-Johnson, Collinge, Okimo, Kabamba (86’ Barratt), Stead (80’ Armstrong), Kanu, Pritchard © (82’ Gorman), Hartigan, Oluwo, Brunt.
UNUSED SUBS: Gillmore, Potter.
ATTENDANCE: 4,065 (163 Barnet supporters)