Treble blitz adds up to more agony

At a time when numbers are so prime in the mind, misshapen vital statistics did for York City.

Pictures by Frank Dwyer

New faces: City's Chris Fairclough soars above Wigan defender Colin Greenall.

Striker Marc Williams keeps his eye on the ball

32-34-36 proved far from attractive for the Minstermen. Those were the times of the three-goal Wigan wallop, which pulled the rug from under the feet of the hosts, burgled the rest of the furniture, screwed the meter, and filched the jewellery as well.

Wigan's win was nothing short of a smash and grab raid inflicting a bruising ninth defeat in 11 games upon City.

They tried so hard to end the turmoil of the past week in which manager Alan Little was sacked and player-coach Neil Thompson installed as caretaker boss.

They toiled so long, and initially so promisingly, to get one over their Lancashire visitors, whose current form matches leaders Fulham stride for expensive stride.

They countered so manfully, but without any reward in a tempestuous second-half in which Wigan's four cautions were supplemented by another two for striker Simon Haworth, who duly got his marching orders shortly after the hour mark.

But 32-34-36. That's when the damage was done. That's when the brave new Thompson era buckled. That's when the downfall of the previous ten games - an inability to keep a clean sheet - resurfaced like a phantom at the edge of the duvet.

One full, drama-drizzled, week on, City were again suckered into a triple whammy. At Notts County it was three goals conceded in seven minutes. At home to Wigan it was three goals in two minutes less. Ouch.

Yet up until the first Lancashire inroad City were not just the peers of Wigan, they were out-classing the Latics.

A high-tempo start was threatening to deliver just what Thompson ordered and what the fans desired. Tackles were tangy, pressure was peppery, Wigan falling back into a defensive shell, though always with the latent menace of hitting on the break.

In particular Wigan were finding it difficult to contain the free-running of feisty debutant Marc Williams, whose wanderings along the left wing gouged out the occasional large hole. If he maintains that sort of have-a-go gusto he will quickly become a Crescent favourite

A deft flick from the new man produced City's best chance, but Richard Cresswell, who carried on the good work by leaving Pat McGibbon on his posterior on the by-line, had too narrow an angle to beat Northern Irish international Roy Carroll at the near post.

Two minutes later, clang. Wigan's livewire Andy Liddell, a former Barnsley team-mate of York boss Thompson, fractured the foundations of City optimism.

After Martin Reed missed a header Liddell latched on to the ball, lashing in a cross that an unmarked David Lee scuffed in from three yards. Trouble.

Two minutes later Liddell teased a pass back to Paul Rogers and his towering cross to the far post was met unchallenged by wing-back Kevin Sharp. Double trouble.

Then, after a similar time-span, Liddell reacted to a short corner, another low centre jabbed in by Colin Greenall with the City defence conspicuous by its absence. Treble trouble.

Even the Wigan fans were now in the land populated by Victor Meldrew - everybody musing they could not believe it. City though have grown accustomed to the incredulous.

Within seven minutes of that third strike City replied with the goal of the game. Martin Garratt was fouled, Scott Jordan applying proper punishment with a spanking Beckham-esque free-kick, whose 25-yard orbit was completed in the rigging.

City's defence was virtually composure itself in the second-half. Their other debutant Chris Fairclough shook off understandable rust to improve as a performer of authority and strength.

But City were up front blunt, even when faced by ten men after Haworth's dismissal. His first booking was for petulance akin to politicians in a debate, the second less than 60 seconds on for crudely dumping Wayne Hall to the turf.

Substitute Andrew Dawson, whose only previous duty from the bench, was a winner against Manchester City, came closest to a double when his snap header hit the crossbar.

But there was to be no last action reprieve for Thompson and Co. With ten games left the crunch numbers spell out a countdown towards either survival or the drop.

Match facts

7min: Positive run by debutant Marc Williams, who produces low cross that bobbles away from Richard Cresswell.

10min: Neil Tolson forces Roy Carroll into a scrambling save.

30min: Williams flicks a pass to Cresswell, whose low angled drive is blocked by Carroll at the base of a post.

32min: Wigan break and Andy Liddell's cross is turned in by David Lee. 0-1.

34min: High centre from Paul Rogers guided in by overlapping Kevin Sharp. 0-2.

36min: Liddell again delivers and Colin Greenall pounces at the near post. 0-3.

41min: Scott Jordan trims the arrears with an exquisite free-kick high into the net. 1-3.

51min: Weak back pass from Martin Reed is seized on by livewire Liddell, but Reed recovers to whip his shot off the goal-line.

61min: Less than a minute after being booked for dissent Simon Haworth walks, yellow-carded a second time after flooring Wayne Hall.

74min: Flowing five-man move is taken on by Williams. But his fierce shot is clasped by Carroll at the second attempt.

86min: The impish Martin Garratt works some space and lets fly a curler from 25 yards. Again Carroll is equal to it, flinging the ball over the bar.

Tap & Spile Man of the match

Scott Jordan. Covered acres of ground in ensuring City bossed opening exchanges. Tackled sharply, was always in support. Scored one of the best goals at the Crescent this season.

Fans' panel 1998-99

Were you encouraged by City's display?

Garry Cummings, Age 41

No. We outclassed Wigan for the first half hour, but after the goals went in, again to schoolboy errors, the heads went down. What we desperately need is a leader on the pitch with a big mouth.

Ruth Reynolds, Age 38

For most of the match yes. The first Wigan goal was against the run of play. Marc Williams looked promising, but York still have got to learn how to defend and tighten up at the back.

Julian Holden, Age 32

Yes, Marc Williams. He is in the Alan Little mould in that he is small, but he gets past people. Chris Fairclough likes to boss things and if people listen to him that would also help.

Half time: City 1,Wigan 3

Shots on target: City 8, Wigan 5

Corner kicks: City 6, Wigan 2

Weather: Colder than a medieval monk's cell

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