January is the time of the sales, so York City took advantage of the great give-away at Wycombe.

City midfielder Scott Jordan keeps an eye on this Wycombe attack

Rejuvinated striker Rodney Rowe gets the better of his Wycombe marker

Tony Barras

And in a welcome reprise of 1998 the Minstermen sealed their third win in four games and an ascent into the top half of the table via the same goal-scoring duo of Richard Cresswell and Barry Jones.

In a three goals in 13 minutes spell - all down to defensive generosity - City prevailed to extend their revival to 13 points out of the last 18, thereby shattering the hoodoo that has bedevilled their travels to Adams Park.

It was a vigorous rather than vintage performance from the Minstermen, who at one spell looked like they were going to let the Chairboys off the hook.

But the frustrating trend of squandered chances was ended in time for City to garner the points.

Had it been otherwise it would have been scant reward for a dogged overall team display and tidy cameos from Tony Barras, Scott Jordan and both marksmen.

Barras led a redoubtable barrier of defiance, blunting the threat of the homesters, while the most graceful of possession emanated from Jordan. He tirelessly prompted the front two of Cresswell and Rodney Rowe, who at game's end should have significantly increased their respective goals tally.

City began their first footing assuredly and with purpose. They should have been boasting one of the fastest goals of the day when within the first minute the normally composed Mick Carroll had a short pass intercepted by Wayne Hall.

But with the goal within sight Hall's trusty left boot dragged a 15-yard shot wide.

City maintained their busy start, Jordan and Mark Tinkler swift in the tackle to ensure ownership stayed with the visitors. But the rovings of Rowe were spiked and partner Cresswell often smothered by double-marking.

Disappointingly for City their avowed wing game-plan foundered on the right, where Gordon Connelly laboured.

Instead the flank ploy was spearheaded down the left by Hall and Gordon Himsworth, though the latter was occasionally troubled the overlapping of Wycombe wing-back Matthew Lawrence.

To City's relief his final ball go awry, lessening the supply to the exotically-named Jermaine McSporran and his flashes of wildcat speed. Bobby Mimms too was alert as a back-up sweeper.

His counterpart Martin Taylor displayed yet sharper reflexes to foil a whipping, dipping free-kick from Jordan. The Wycombe 'keeper tipped it away in the nick of time, his frame crashing into an upright.

City's next chance was even clearer just before half-time, but an unmolested Cresswell nodded a cross from Jordan that implored to be buried a yard over the bar. Fears bubbled with half-time tea and no sympathy that Wycombe might have escaped due punishment in a the low-key first-half.

Derisory yells broke out shortly into the second-half when a howler of many decibels was suffered by McSporran. Steve Brown sent Keith Scott prowling into the area. His unselfish pass found McSporran, but he was too quick for his own good. As he swiped to shoot, the ball hit his standing right-foot to squirt harmlessly away.

City's breakthrough was poached by Cresswell and was fitting retribution on Paul McCarthy, who tripped the City man as he roared towards a lasered daisy-cutter pass from Barras minutes earlier.

Culprit McCarthy dithered as a Jordan pass speared into the area and when Taylor declined to advance City's tyro nipped in to prod his 16th of the campaign.

But the lead was of brief nature. A steepling free-kick from Michael Simpson was met at the far post by Keith Ryan, his diving header in off the far post.

Then came the repeat of Oldham. Jones, like Cresswell, started the new year as he finished the old with a goal. Though not as spectacular as his bolt from the blue at Boundary Park it was just as valuable, his downward header finding the net from Jordan's curled free-kick.

Predictably there was a flurry of aerial stuff from the hosts. But Barras, ably assisted by captain Jones, was imperious at the heart of defence as City took full advantage of their first footing.

York close the gap on play-off rivals

FA Cup duty for the majority of the Second Division clubs enabled the Minstermen to haul themselves into ninth place.

City are now in their highest position for more than three months, leap-frogging big-spending Reading in the process.

The Royals surprisingly crashed 2-1 at home to Chesterfield. It was the Spireites' first away win of the season.

Second-placed Walsall suffered a setback when they were held to a goal-less draw at Burnley to prevent them drawing level on points with leaders Fulham.

However, Gillingham, thanks to a Nicky Southall goal three minutes from time took all the points at home to Blackpool to nudge ominously into fifth place. City travel to the Gills' Priestfield Road fortress in just under a fortnight's time.

MATCH NOTES

1min: Wayne Hall intercepts a dangerous pass inside the Wycombe area, but drives narrowly wide from 15 yards.

24min: Vicious free-kick from Scott Jordan forces fine scrambling save by goalkeeper Martin Taylor, who undergoes treatment after colliding with a post.

30min: Fine block tackle from Gary Himsworth bars route to goal for Jermaine McSporran.

42min: Cresswell heads a yard over when unchallenged to meet a Jordan cross.

46min: Tony Barras through ball slices open the Wycombe defence, but Cresswell is tripped by Paul McCarthy.

57min: McSporran misses an open goal miskicking from Keith Scott's pass.

63min: Rasping shot from Jordan whizzes fractionally wide.

64min: Cresswell profits from error by McCarthy to poach his 16th goal of the season. 0-1.

71min: Keith Ryan heads in a free-kick. 1-1.

77min: Accurate Jordan free-kick met expertly by Jones to sail into the net. 1-2.

90min: Succession of wall passes between Mark Tinkler and Rodney Rowe end with Rowe pulling shot wide.

90min: Saving tackle from Barras to deny McSporran.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Tony Barras.

Exceptional in defence. Back to his formidable best with series of fine tackles and interceptions. Also broke from defence to telling effect. Calming influence.

FANS' PANEL 1998-99

What price would you put on Cresswell?

Gary Duncanson, 18

Jon McCarthy went for £450,000 and Graeme Murty for £700,000 and I thought McCarthy was the better of the two so it's hard to say. But I would expect at least £1 million for Cresswell, if he went to a big club.

Ruth Reynolds, 37

I would want more than £1 million, but I'd like him to go to a club where he would be in the first team and not in the back room in the reserves. Somewhere like Barnsley would be a good move.

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