U's:1 Minstermen:0
Players come and players go and sometimes players come back again. Sometimes they even come back and are as good or better as they were first time around.
Let’s hope that Scotty Rendell adds his name to the illustrious list containing Shaggy, Super Paulie Raynor, and, er, Jamie Campbell, and enjoys a prolific and happy second spell at the Abbey.
Certainly the team demonstrated once again on Tuesday night that what we lack most at present is someone with Rendell’s predatory skills. Another performance during which we totally dominated possession yielded just one goal, and you have to think that teams with more ambition than York will take advantage of our failure to hit the target.
And it wouldn’t be hard to show more ambition than York, who rarely had less than seven men behind the ball during Tuesday’s game. Manager Colin Walker’s bizarre proclamation that his team are losing games by “little inches” (I wonder if he impresses Mrs Walker with talk of “little inches”) didn’t really match up to way his ultra-defensive team played.
Much like in the Lewes game, United made a very bright start, but when they didn’t get the early goal they lost a bit of impetus. Felino Jardim, back in the side and looking back to something like his exciting best, headed wide, while good work from Evil saw him bowl a defender out of the way and cross for Beesley who someone put his shot over with the goal gaping.
York had a couple of efforts on goal, with Potter dealing comfortably with a long ranger from Hogg then clutching a tame effort from Craig Farrell, who should’ve done better after latching onto a quick free kick.
Convery was enjoying a decent game against his former club, and he and the imperious Carden spread the play to the wings at regular intervals. Robbie Willmott didn’t have a particularly great 90 minutes, and summed up a poor showing when he got free near the byline, but hit a weak shot into the near post area with Bees and Evil screaming for a pass in the centre.
Thankfully the goal came in the early minutes of the second half, and given our finishing of late it had to be a City player who scored it for us. Jardim beat his man on the right and arced a delicious cross in towards Willmott. Ben Purkiss got to the ball first, but in trying to chest it back to his keeper only succeeded in looping the ball into his own net. Ho hum, they all count. 1-0.
It should’ve been 2-0 soon afterwards when Beesley’s super pass put Willmott in on goal, but the young winger dallied to long and was denied by a defender before he could get a shot away.
It’s not happening for Bees in front of goal at the moment, and he saw an on-target shot blocked at the last by a defender before he made way for the returning Rendell. Scotty always looked dangerous after coming on, and could’ve had a debut goal if Evil had chosen to square the ball to him instead of going for goal in 77th minute. Instead our top scorer tried to beat the keeper himself, and saw his shot blocked.
Evil had his most effective game for ages though, so I shouldn’t complain too much, but he was nearly made to pay for his miss when York almost grabbed a wholly undeserved equaliser. Russell’s cross found Farrell, whose header bobbled across the goal, kissed the post, and bounced to safety. Pottsy had it covered anyway, maybe.
Man of the Match: Paul Carden – Outstanding in the centre of the park, and he and Convery look to compliment each other nicely.
Let’s hope that Scotty Rendell adds his name to the illustrious list containing Shaggy, Super Paulie Raynor, and, er, Jamie Campbell, and enjoys a prolific and happy second spell at the Abbey.
Certainly the team demonstrated once again on Tuesday night that what we lack most at present is someone with Rendell’s predatory skills. Another performance during which we totally dominated possession yielded just one goal, and you have to think that teams with more ambition than York will take advantage of our failure to hit the target.
And it wouldn’t be hard to show more ambition than York, who rarely had less than seven men behind the ball during Tuesday’s game. Manager Colin Walker’s bizarre proclamation that his team are losing games by “little inches” (I wonder if he impresses Mrs Walker with talk of “little inches”) didn’t really match up to way his ultra-defensive team played.
Much like in the Lewes game, United made a very bright start, but when they didn’t get the early goal they lost a bit of impetus. Felino Jardim, back in the side and looking back to something like his exciting best, headed wide, while good work from Evil saw him bowl a defender out of the way and cross for Beesley who someone put his shot over with the goal gaping.
York had a couple of efforts on goal, with Potter dealing comfortably with a long ranger from Hogg then clutching a tame effort from Craig Farrell, who should’ve done better after latching onto a quick free kick.
Convery was enjoying a decent game against his former club, and he and the imperious Carden spread the play to the wings at regular intervals. Robbie Willmott didn’t have a particularly great 90 minutes, and summed up a poor showing when he got free near the byline, but hit a weak shot into the near post area with Bees and Evil screaming for a pass in the centre.
Thankfully the goal came in the early minutes of the second half, and given our finishing of late it had to be a City player who scored it for us. Jardim beat his man on the right and arced a delicious cross in towards Willmott. Ben Purkiss got to the ball first, but in trying to chest it back to his keeper only succeeded in looping the ball into his own net. Ho hum, they all count. 1-0.
It should’ve been 2-0 soon afterwards when Beesley’s super pass put Willmott in on goal, but the young winger dallied to long and was denied by a defender before he could get a shot away.
It’s not happening for Bees in front of goal at the moment, and he saw an on-target shot blocked at the last by a defender before he made way for the returning Rendell. Scotty always looked dangerous after coming on, and could’ve had a debut goal if Evil had chosen to square the ball to him instead of going for goal in 77th minute. Instead our top scorer tried to beat the keeper himself, and saw his shot blocked.
Evil had his most effective game for ages though, so I shouldn’t complain too much, but he was nearly made to pay for his miss when York almost grabbed a wholly undeserved equaliser. Russell’s cross found Farrell, whose header bobbled across the goal, kissed the post, and bounced to safety. Pottsy had it covered anyway, maybe.
Man of the Match: Paul Carden – Outstanding in the centre of the park, and he and Convery look to compliment each other nicely.
Surprise of the Match: Referee John Hopkins – the name Hopkins has become synonymous with nightmares for U’s fans over the last couple of years following some abject performances, but on Tuesday he was unobtrusive and mostly spot on with his decisions. Perhaps he’s been in rehab. 
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