AERIAL problems at Woking on Saturday prevented York City caretaker boss Viv Busby from getting a head start in any bid to land the Bootham Crescent job on a permanent basis.

It was a tale of two headers in a tight match at Kingfield.

Cards substitute Scott Canham took a gamble by charging into the penalty box to outjump the visitors' defence, meet Justin Richards' cross and break the deadlock on 72 minutes while, almost straight from the restart, City player-coach Lee Nogan was presented with a simpler chance to equalise but glanced his header wide from Andy Bishop's cross and ensured that Woking enjoyed their fourth straight home victory.

The Minstermen, meanwhile, endured their fourth successive defeat and, with Forest Green Rovers and Northwich Victoria both winning, the need to dispense with the club's losing habit has added urgency.

Goalscoring remains City's chief problem with a tally of 14 from 17 games the second worst in the Conference.

Nogan, in tandem, is probably suffering the leanest spell of his 17-year career with just one heavily-deflected goal from his last 27 appearances.

Saturday's overall display was, however, much more encouraging than the recent demoralising thrashings handed out by Forest Green, Carlisle and Barnet with "Busby's Babes" - teenagers David Stockdale, Lee Grant, Michael Staley and Sean Davies - producing strong defensive displays alongside former manager Chris Brass, who looks ready to return to his inspirational best as captain.

Stockdale produced heriocs that are almost becoming cutomary these days to brilliantly deny Woking twice before Canham eventually beat him.

Grant also made a confident debut, looking as comfortable on the ground as he was commanding in the air for most of the match.

The on-loan Aston Villa defender's centre-back partner Brass was greeted on to the pitch with a banner of support from City fans and chants of his name in a crowd where segregation was unusually deemed unnecessary.

City were the better side during a poor first half although dangerous right-winger Amos Foyewa did trouble stand-in left-back Davies with his pace.

Darren Dunning volleyed over from 20 yards on 11 minutes and Paul Groves then blazed into the stand from a similar distance.

Nogan's low drive from the edge of the box was then palmed out by home 'keeper Adriano Basso but there was not a City player present to profit when the ball broke loose.

On 38 minutes, Bishop escaped his marker to meet Dunning's cross but his disappointingly weak header failed to trouble Basso.

The Woking 'keeper then denied Bishop as he prepared to apply a finishing touch from close range and Dunning evoked memories of Wembley, Paul Gascoigne and Euro 96 on the stroke of half-time when he flicked the ball over his marker but smacked a well-struck volley over.

Stockdale made his first save of the match in stoppage time, cutting out Richards' cross-cum-shot and Brass went on to clear the danger from inside his six-yard box.

City continued to impress after the break with Bishop's low drive going close on 50 minutes before Woking woke up.

Richards raced between Brass and Grant to bear down on Stockdale's goal on 54 minutes but the visitors' teenage stopper flung out an arm to push his low shot behind for a corner.

Leeds-born Stockdale then displayed impressive reactions to keep out a firm Foyewa drive at his near post.

At the other end, Dave Merris, employed in a left-midfield role by Busby, began to gain the confidence to press further forward and Groves was only inches away from converting his excellent cross to the far post.

Merris also sent a 30-yard half-volley over on 58 minutes.

But Woking's 6ft 7in totem pole of a defender Luke Oliver headed wide from a corner on 70 minutes and, moments later, Glenn Cockerill's men had taken the lead.

Staley failed to cut out Richards' cross from the left and, when the ball looped into City's penalty box, Canham leapt the highest and his downward header skidded off the greasy surface and found the bottom corner.

Nogan then missed his easy chance and Woking defender Gary MacDonald was fortunate not to concede an own goal when he stuck out a boot after an enticing low cross from Merris. His sliced intervention only just cleared the home crossbar.

Basso also had to make a spectacular save to prevent Dunning's curling shot from a free-kick nestling in his top corner.

Karl Murray dragged a good chance wide in the last minute but a second goal would have flattered the hosts.

Busby will be hoping that an improved defensive display bodes well for the future but must now address the team's continued inability to hit the back of the net on a regular basis.

Nationwide Conference

Saturday, November 20, 2004

at Kingfield Stadium

Woking 1 (Canham 72), York City 0

Stockdale 8, Staley 6, Brass 7, Grant 8, Davies 6, Donovan 7 (Yalcin 79min), Dunning 7, Groves 6, Merris 8, Bishop 7, Nogan 6

Key: 10 - Faultless; 9 - Outstanding; 8 - Excellent; 7 - Good; 6 - Average; 5 - Below par; 4 - Poor; 3 - Dud; 2 - Hopeless; 1 - Retire

Subs not used: Porter, Law, Arthur, Ashcroft.

Star man: Merris - worked hard down left flank and delivered dangerous crosses.

Woking: Basso, Smith (Nade, 90), Oliver, MacDonald, Murray, Foyewa, Selley, Evans (Canham, 31), Jackson, Richards, Johnson (Sharpling, 69). Subs not used: Jalal, Ferguson.

Yellow cards: Davies 13, Foyewa 45, Smith 57, Merris 75, Dunning 87.

Red cards: None.

Referee: Dean Whitestone (Northants).

Rating: Tolerated no dissent, a little bit fussy

Attendance: 2,072.

Weather watch: Very cold after constant drizzle and sleet before the game.

Game breaker: Nogan's missed header denied City a likely point.

Match rating: Improved defensive display by City still have striking problems.

Updated: 09:29 Monday, November 22, 2004