Home discomforts

Back in the days when there were miners - remember them - there was a television advertisement about coming home to a real fire.

RARE THREAT: City midfielder Martin Garratt whips over a cross past the challenge of Chesterfield's Jamie Hewitt but the attack came to nothing. Picture: Frank Dwyer

Oh how York City are in need of a home-grown conflagration to fuel the fading hopes of salvation from relegation.

After the sense of conquest was restored to the Minstermen at Lincoln City there was reason to believe nemesis rivals Chesterfield could be similarly bested.

But that was failing to recognise not just the home hold the Spireites have on their hosts, but also the pathetic record of the Minstermen on their own soil.

Chesterfield, unbeaten at Bootham Crescent in six attempts in eight tedious years, stretched that to seven, though at least midfielder Scott Jordan ended a club scoring duck by becoming the first City player since former captain Steve Spooner to breach the visiting Chesterfield defences in that lean spell.

Yet more damaging to City is their inability to win in their own backyard. More graveyard, as this was the eighth home defeat this term.

If City are to complete another grating escape they surely have to at least stand defiant on their own turf. Four wins to date make only for a dip into Division Three. Optimism is anorexic gazing at the quartet of remaining appearances in front of their cheesed-off fans before the current term ends if they repeat the abysmal inertia of Saturday.

City supporters did not deserve the dreadful, dire display. Neither did caretaker-manager Neil Thompson, whose ultimate job prospects may rely on results.

Nor did Chris Fairclough merit such an ignominious result, especially as he did his utmost to keep City's fraying body and soul together. He was a gigantic influence at the heart of the hosts, fast-fixed in resolve not to yield. A pity so many others were not of the same level of performance.

Of the rest only Neil Tolson, busting a gut in flicking and foraging, emerged with credit, while substitute Andrew Dawson added much-needed energy on his arrival.

Curiously, City bossed the first-half without ever posting too much danger. Fairclough had to be at his most robust to quell the presence of Jason Lee, who, with Steve Lenagh, are of the octo-push school of striking. Otherwise Chesterfield were back-pedallingThe waspish Marc Williams carried the initial threat. One sinuous run lost the ball, then retrieved it before smacking a shot a foot wide. He was closer within a minute when his diving header from a whiplash Tolson cross ghosted close to an upright.

There was not much to excite the connoisseur. Little was coming from midfield where much of the time the ball was in flight. So many clearances and passes were airborne the crowd were either yawning or afflicted by neck-strain. However, raking passes crisply fired off by Jordan and a subdued Alan Pouton almost found their intended Marc.

For all the bluster there was not one shot on target or corner for the first 34 minutes and then it was forced by City.

Spireites' manager John Duncan's cry of 'winning the second phase' described the match perfectly. It was just like the worst of rugby union. Kick, boom. Hoof, boom. Bang, boom. The most fluent aspect of the first-half was Fairclough's timing in the tackle and his organisation of the offside trap.

Defensive slackness finally unhinged the Minstermen. Lee's nod-down rolled across the six-yard box, where Lenagh was unmarked. His first shot was blocked, his second flew in despite Wayne Hall's attempted goal-line clearance.The second-half continued as scrappily and as haphazardly as the first. City all huff, but clueless, Chesterfield sitting on their lead, which was doubled on the hour.

The ball fell to Chris Beaumont on the edge of the area and his half-volley sped through a thicket of legs, catching goalkeeper Andy Warrington by surprise and hitting the net off his glove and an upright.

Four minutes from time Jordan produced that rarest of commodities - skill. He lofted another glorious free-kick over the wall into the net.

Tolson was inches away from a second soon after but the phrase too little, too late may well have been invented for the missing in action Minstermen.

MATCH NOTES

13min: A wriggling run from Marc Williams ends with a fierce shot a yard wide.

16min: Whipped in cross from Neil Tolson is met by Williams' diving header just off target.

17min: Mistake by Martin Reed is cleared up by Wayne Hall header after the ball is cheaply surrendered to Jason Lee.

37min: From a crowded area Williams tries a curling chip but fails to extend Chesterfield goalkeeper Billy Mercer.

44min: Steve Lenagh is left unchallenged to drill in after his first shot is blocked. 0-1.

59min: Grubber drive from Alan Pouton rolls to Mercer as City's first shot on target.

60min: Low drive from Chris Beaumont catches Andy Warrington by surprise and he can only help it into the net off an upright. 0-2.

86min: For the second successive home game Scott Jordan executes a delicate free-kick. 1-2.

87min: A guided header from substitute Andrew Dawson is nodded inches wide by Neil Tolson.

89min: Goal-bound Dawson volley after swerving Martin Garratt run and cross is charged down by Shane Nicholson.

TAP & SPILE MAN OF THE MATCH

Chris Fairclough. Towered head and shoulders above the rest. Immaculate timing in the tackle, marshalling a defensive resistance only buckled by sloppy errors.

FANS' PANEL 1998-99

What's wrong with City at home?

Julian Holden, Age 32

I don't really know, but I'm sure it's not the crowd. We have to get this season out of the way and start with a clean slate. But we need to play our last four games like the last five minutes on Saturday.

Alex Bedingham, Age 15

It's difficult to explain why City have not produced the results at home recently this season. It seems as if the players have a lot more confidence playing away from Bootham Crescent.

Gary Duncanson, Age 18

Probably it's a lack of confidence. But if we played for the entire 90 minutes like we did those last five minutes Chesterfield could have been hammered. That's what sickened me the most.

Trapdoor comes closer

Tighter and tighter draws the relegation rope - with York City's neck now within touching distance.

The first set of Easter results drew in the six clubs above bottom-placed Macclesfield to within three points of each other. And Macclesfield will be within that group if they win their game in hand.

However, the Silkmen suffered arguably the worst result of the Friday-Saturday showdowns.

They entertained second from bottom Wycombe. But despite scoring through Payne after 11 minutes the hurt was all the hosts.

Wycombe responded with a three-goal blitz in eight minutes either side of half-time to filch only their second away win of the season. To worsen Macclesfield's plight they had defender Efe Sodje sent off.

Besides Wycombe, only Northampton and Colchester could approach their Easter eggs with any appetite.

Northampton countered from an early strike from visiting Bournemouth to win 2-1 - Christian Lee and Carlo Corazzin the Cobblers' marksmen, while Colchester had veteran Warren Aspinall to thank for their winner over Preston.

Luton, whom York visit tomorrow, gained a precious point away at Oldham, while fellow strugglers Notts County and Burnley shared the spoils after a goal-less draw at Meadow lane.

Lincoln found a Thorne in their slide to third from bottom. Stoke striker Peter Thorne hit both goals in the first home win in seven attempts for the Potters.

Manchester City's on-loan striker Terry Cooke was the points-winner in the all-Lancashire battle at the expense of Wigan Athletic, while Walsall edged to within one point of Preston with a 2-0 success at Blackpool to squeeze more pressure on the Tangerines.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.