Photo by Richard King
York City U19s were narrowly edged out 3-2 away at Solihull Moors on Wednesday afternoon in the National League U19 Alliance North.
Josh Binns, Sutton Greening, and Greg Baker returned to the starting XI after beginning on the bench in last week’s North Riding Senior Cup tie.
Clear chances were limited early on, with the hosts producing the first in the 14th minute as a recycled corner was diverted into the side netting.
Six minutes later, Solihull took the lead.
A City defender was dispossessed outside the box, allowing an opposing attacker to dribble inside and thump in the first goal.
The home side threatened again on the half-hour mark, working the ball to the right before striking fiercely narrowly wide of the post.
Their pressure told again shortly after when a loose ball in defence was seized upon, and the Solihull forward advanced calmly before sliding it under Cam White to double the lead.
The York goalkeeper soon made amends with an excellent low save to tip a driven shot behind, but Solihull were still on top.
In stoppage time, they went close again with a clever free-kick routine that resulted in a long-range effort flashing inches wide.
Into first-half stoppage time, Moors would have another chance, with a clever free kick routine seeing a long range shot fizzed whiskers wide of the far post.
In response to a half dominated by the home side, the Minstermen emerged and grabbed a goal within two minutes.
Oz Shaw lofted a perfectly weighted pass in behind for Eddie Kettlewell, who raced through and finished neatly.
Almost instantaneously after the restart, Kettlewell almost levelled the game himself. After a weaving run down the left, he cut inside and unleashed a strike that smacked off the far post.
City had started better in this half, and kept trying for the equaliser.
Josh Binns was fed in on the left, and took the ball a few yards forward, then sliced one over the bar, his final action.
At the other end, Solihull struck the crossbar with a well-hit free-kick in the 65th minute as the game continued to open up.
With 20 minutes remaining, the West Midlands outfit re-established their two-goal advantage.
A floated cross from the left was met by an unmarked attacker, who flicked it into the far corner.
Back in the same situation they were in after 45 minutes, York needed a goal quickly to keep their hopes alive.
A free kick under the wall wasn’t going to do that, with the ‘keeper holding it.
Substitute Tom Hewson went for a close range header soon after, but he couldn’t keep it low enough.
In the 87th minute, Sutton Greening found the strike to make it 3-2, and he did it in style.
Always with an eye for the spectacular, City’s leading scorer sent a superb first time hit into the top corner from within the D.
Hewson, who assisted the goal, had the final chance of the matchup, fighting his way through before releasing a tame shot straight towards the goalkeeper.
There was no time for the elusive leveller for the Minstermen, who returned home frustratingly without anything to show for their efforts.
York City: White, Shaw, Beadle, Belleh (C), Baker (Kydd 45′), Russell, Kettlewell, Stiver (Campbell-Baldwin 60′), Day (Hewson 72′), Greening, Binns (Roberts 60′).
Sub not used: Zubrickas.
