Football can be a cruel game and City today will feel they deserved better than to find themselves on the wrong end of a 2-0 score-line. For eighty-nine minutes, they just about matched their Yorkshire neighbours, but a sensational sixty second spell was to undo all their previous hard work.

Not unlike the Hull derby of Boxing Day, manager Brass chose a defensive look to his side to face in form local opponents. Lee Nogan was again the lone recognised striker, with the midfield of Cooper, Dunning and Ward suggesting a combative rather than attacking format.

To those like myself, who suffer daily at the hands of Arriva Trains Northern, it was somewhat fitting that a match sponsored by the company should kick-off nearly five minutes late! Indeed from the first fifteen minutes, it seemed the City too had taken the train as all the opening action was dominated by the visitors.

After only two minutes Huddersfield should have gone ahead, when a quickly taken free kick was whipped into the box by Lee Fowler and met by the head of Nathan Clarke. However, the ball bounced fractionally wide of the left hand post, with Ovendale stranded. There then followed two powerful shots from distance by the impressive Danny Schofield, the second saved well to his right by the City keeper.

Slowly, York began to edge back into the game and on seventeen minutes, Nogan and Edmondson combined well on the right, for the City wing-back to cross to Cooper, dead-centre and only five yards out. Unfortunately and not for the first time in recent games, the York midfielder managed to fluff his chance when it seemed easier to score, this time shooting weakly at Senior in the Town goal.

Hope continued to look impressive both in the heart of the York defence and at set pieces. On twenty-six minutes he rose powerfully to meet a Dunning corner, only to see the ball deflected wide.

The half hour mark saw perhaps the worst refereeing decision witnessed at Bootham Crescent this season and that against some pretty strong competition! Quick thinking by Merris and Dunning had contrived to open the midfield area and a ball played through the middle saw Cooper galloping into the Huddersfield half completely on his own. However, Mr Miller saw fit to blow his whistle and amazingly award a York free-kick for an earlier Town infringement. As the City faithful howled their derision, one could only wonder why no advantage was played. Needless to say the resultant free-kick came to nothing.

A goalless first half seemed a fair reflection on an even forty five minutes, that boasted some quality football, if perhaps a paucity of real goalmouth incident.

Town started the second half looking more like the side who had won their last five games. They bombarded the York defence with quick passing and enterprising football. At times the City goal was under siege as the central defensive team of Brass, Hope and Smith fought bravely to keep the visitors out. When at least this wall was breached, Huddersfield found Mark Ovendale in equally determined mood. On fifty minutes he pulled out a miraculous one handed diving save to tip a Schofield thunderbolt over the crossbar. Minutes later, the City custodian was there again to pounce quickly on a Town free kick which had fallen loose in the six yard box.

Despite all their pressure, Huddersfield had not found a way through and again York slowly edged their way back into the contest. On sixty minutes, Merris beat two men on the City left and his cross was blocked for a corner. The resultant in swinger from Ward led to an almighty scramble in the Town six yard area, before a grateful Phil Senior managed to smother the ball.

Now the pressure was coming from the Minstermen. Dunning saw a header just clear the bar, Bullock had a shot narrowly wide as did the lively Yalcin, on in place of Lee Nogan. Then with barely ten minutes remaining, Bullock found the ball at his feet inside the Town area, his low shot was agonisingly pushed round the post however by Senior, diving at full stretch.

Had City taken the lead at this stage, then Brass might have been hailed the tactical hero. It is evident he favours putting men behind the ball against the Division’s better teams, hoping to steal victory on the back of a clean sheet. However, the potential hero was soon to become the villain.

With only a minute of normal time remaining, Brass hesitated in dealing with a hopeful Huddersfield punt forwards, allowing the ball to bounce. This allowed Town substitute Mirfin to nip in and fire a smart shot from the edge of the area, which Ovendale could only parry. First to the loose ball was Danny Schofield who joyously belted the ball into an unguarded net from around two yards.

Worse was to follow as Huddersfield broke straight from the restart. David Mirfin raced clear onto a pass into space before calmly slotting the ball past the advancing City keeper. 2-0 and York were in shock.

Four minutes of injury time were played out before the referee’s whistle called time on what turned out to be a wretched afternoon for York. No-one can doubt their commitment and again City played some tidy football, but oh, does this side need someone who can put the ball into the back of the net. This basically was the difference between the two sides.

It is perhaps telling that on numerous occasions the furthest forward York player was defensive midfielder Richard Cooper. Whilst no-one doubts Coopers improvement in recent games and his worth to the side, a striker he is not!

If City do not remedy this weakness and quickly, their play-off hopes will vanish , long before the Easter break.


Attn. 6969 (3375 away)

City Man of the Match. Richard Hope




City Player Ratings.


Ovendale - 6 - A sound game with a couple of superb saves. Unfortunately, in the position of keeper, errors rarely go punished and he should really have held, rather than parried for the first goal.

Edmondson - 7 - Solid display and linked well on the right with Nogan and Bullock.

Cooper - 6 - Worked hard and won plenty of ball in midfield. Was found wanting in front of goal and occasionally when an accurate pass was required.

Smith - 7 - Good classy performance. Always seems to make the correct choice.

Brass - 6- Worked incredibly hard and had one of his better games.....but for that error....

Bullock - 6 - Patchy. Occasionally inspired, often rather ordinary. Looked like he was effected by the transfer speculation and the Cardiff entourage in the Main Stand.

Nogan - 6 - Worked hard, held the ball up well, but ineffective as a striker today.

Ward - 6 - Pretty average display although delivered some excellent corner kicks.

Dunning - 6 - A little below par. Does he require resting?

Hope -8- My man of the match. Coped well under two sustained spells of Town pressure and always looked dangerous at set pieces.

Merris - 7- Another fine display from the find of the season.

Yalcin - n/a -Not really on long enough to form an opinion, but does look lively and confident. Should be given longer than fifteen minutes

Report by Mark Wright

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