York City drop to ninth after 1-0 loss at Brackley Town

James Armson’s header from a corner was enough to be the difference between York and Brackley in what was ultimately a relatively dull affair.

Neither team were at their complete best and much of the contest was battled solely in the midfield, but the Saints did enough to come away with the three points.

City have lost their second successive league game, the first back-to-back losses they’ve suffered since January. Brackley, meanwhile, keep their place at the top of the division by a point with a victory, extending their unbeaten run to 17 games.

The Minstermen made just one change from their 2-0 loss at Kettering earlier in the week, with Jack McKay returning to the starting 11 in place of Sam Sanders as John Askey reverted to his preferred, standard system of four-at-the-back.

A theme that proved constant throughout the game, but became apparent early on, was the reliance both teams would show to long-balls forward in an effort to breach the opposing defence. For much of the first half especially, the ball seemed to spend more time in the air than on the grass.

Town enjoyed the opening handful of chances in the game, their best coming through winger Jaanai Gordon who found himself in the box with the ball at his feet. His effort was only stopped by some brilliant defensive work from City.

Paddy McLaughlin’s tame and ultimately well-blocked shot was York’s first chance at the Brackley goal, however minimal it may have been. The Minstermen seemed to grow slightly into the match from there, with Olly Dyson able to have an effort on goal moments after McLaughlin, though again, his effort wasn’t powerful enough and easy for Town to manage.

The deadlock was broken not long before the half-hour mark, when The Saints whipped a deep corner into the box. The ball found the head of Armson who, completely unmarked, nodded his effort past Jameson to open the scoring, a clear example of just how much City struggled to deal with Brackley in the air.

Maziar Kouhyar was, by some way, City’s most influential creator in the first-half, dancing around Brackley defenders and always looking to create something. One such move saw him glide past several red shirts before finding Lenell John-Lewis with a ball forward.

The veteran attacker rounded Lewis in the Brackley goal, but the Saints shot-stopper recovered brilliantly to parry John-Lewis’ initial effort. The City striker recovered the ball, but his effort to play it into the box was blocked well by a Town defender who prevented McKay getting onto the ball. 

The rebound found the feet of John-Lewis once more, who in his third effort on goal within seconds, rifled his strike into the side netting. Somehow, York weren’t level and they’d had three chances to make it so and they entered the break down by a goal.

Much of Brackley’s attacking movements in the second half rang true with Askey’s assessment of the Saints earlier in the week. He described Town as a side that would “play deep and try and catch you on the break” and in the second half, that was a fair description of their playstyle.

Though in the first half, Town were aiming to catch York on the break, City were not even slightly forced forward until they conceded. Entering the second-half down by a goal, they aimed to equalise and Brackley looked to capitalise.

Brackley's Sheperd Murombedzi beat his man on the left hand side before driving a shot towards goal that was, somehow, cleared off of the line.

Only seconds later, Jaanai Gordon was on the receiving end of a long ball forward. After taking it down with a beautiful first touch, he unleashed a shot towards his near post that was well saved by Jameson.

The resulting corner saw Armson nearly double his goal tally with another header, though this one glanced just over the crossbar. Town were pressuring York and the visiting Minstermen were, just about, surviving.

Olly Dyson played a few, well-taken crosses into the box but was never able to pick out one of his teammates. With about 20 minutes remaining, Kouhyar earned a free-kick on the left wing but once again, City were unable to create from the dead ball.

Brackley have only conceded 19 goals this season, a best in the division and the wider National League. Their resilience in defence was clear in this game, but York certainly didn’t threaten them nearly as much as they could have done.

The Minstermen retained possession in the second half much better than they did in the first, but they never seemed intent on attacking.

Whilst in their own half, they passed the ball well and nicely, they scarcely offered much threat after entering the Brackley half. Their attacks were often condensed to crosses or reliance on Kouhyar to create something.

Some crosses from City were too weak, some were too strong and other than the odd few, none were able to provide a genuine attacking opportunity.

Perhaps their best attack in the second half was their final attacking move, when Scott Barrow drove the ball into the box and it was mere inches from meeting the head of John-Lewis.

From there, Brackley were able to hold the ball until the final whistle, taking their time and understandably keeping the ball out wide and winding down the clock.

Lineup: Jameson, 5, Dyson, 6, Kouogun, 5, Brown, 5,  Barrow, 6,  McLaughlin, 5, Wright, 6, Kouhyar, 6, McKay, 5 (Donaldson, 63, 4), John-Lewis, 5, Willoughby, 5. 

Unused subs: Campbell, Sanders, James, Longdon

York’s star man: Maziar Kouhyar. The attacker was at the centre for most of the good moves that City created at St James Park. He was incredibly influential in York’s attacks, however sparing and limited they seemed.