City diary: No hiding place for Crescent goal famine

The Minstermen’s tally of 16 home goals falls way short of the previous lowest haul during a single campaign.

That dubious accolade is shared by the 1999/2000 team managed by Neil Thompson and then Terry Dolan and John Bird’s outfit of 1990/91.

Those two sides, who finished fifth and fourth-bottom respectively in the Football League’s basement division, only netted 21 times on their own soil.

However, unless City manage a nap hand at home for the first time in the Football League since Steve Cooper (2), Gary Swann, Paul Barnes and Jon McCarthy were the marksmen in a 5-0 triumph over Cardiff 22 years ago, this term’s team will take an unenviable place in the Bootham Crescent history books.

During those other shot-shy seasons, Ian Helliwell (seven) and Barry Conlon (11) were the club’s leading league scorers.

The former’s haul in 90/91 remains the joint-lowest for a top marksman in any league campaign, along with Brian Pollard’s 1972/73 return.

This season’s leading league marksman Jake Hyde, meanwhile, only has nine to his name and, despite scoring in his first two contests at Bootham Crescent back in August, he has failed to hit the target in 16 Sky Bet League Two home outings since.

His two Bootham Crescent league goals is a number matched by centre-backs Stephane Zubar and Dave Winfield, along with short-lived loan signing Diego De Girolamo and the far-from-prolific Russell Penn.

But only fellow forward Wes Fletcher, with three, has managed more.

City’s current record of five home league victories, meanwhile, is the second-lowest in the club’s history behind Bobby Saxton’s 1987/88 strugglers, who were relegated from the old third division following just four triumphs in front of their own fans.

The only other team to win as few as five was Tom Lockie’s 1965/66 outfit, who also went down from the same division.

Those two sides are also the only ones who have collected fewer home points in a league campaign (if the two-for-a-win seasons are converted into three) than the 25 that have currently been accumulated this term.

Should Russ Wilcox carry on the sterling work he has put in during recent weeks to reverse the club’s fortunes on their own turf, however, with a fourth consecutive triumph in North Yorkshire this afternoon then the portents for a much-improved farewell to the 83-year-old arena during 2015/16 at least look promising.

A GROUP of Portsmouth fans are gearing up for an epic 300-mile charity bike ride that will see them leave Bootham CresCent on Wednesday morning and arrive at Fratton Park in time for next Saturday’s final game of the season at home to the Minstermen.

The 32 Big Pompey Ride cyclists are hoping to raise £32,000 for eight different charities – Yorkshire Cancer Support, The Elizabeth Foundation, Jack’s First Steps, Sam’s Haven, Har - bour Cancer Support, Kitbags and Berets, the Disabled Sup - porters’ Association and Pompey Pals.

Last season, the Big Pompey Ride saw 20 participants raise £20,000 on their Ride2Bury mission, which also coincided with their team’s final fixture of the campaign.

On next week’s challenge, organiser Tom Dearie said: “We are looking for support from the communities we pass through, but we also want to make drivers aware that there will be 32 cyclists, plus support vehicles, taking up the road so they don’t get too impatient with us and maybe give us a wave or a honk when they see us.”

Several of the 12 City supporters who took part in February’s Ride To Northampton, which raised £7,233.44 towards the British Heart Foundation in the memory of Cobblers fan David Henderson, are set to join their Pompey counterparts for the start of the journey as they leave Bootham Crescent at 9am on Wednesday.

Donations can be made by visiting www.bigpompeyride.co.uk

FORMER York City star Chris Jones will be signing copies of his new book A Tale of Two Great Cities at today’s home game with Newport.

Jones will autograph his autobiography in person from the Supporters’ Office, next to the club shop, between 12.30pm and 1.30pm with signed copies also available right up until kick off.

Penn marks place in tilt at the top

ONLY three men can now claim The Press Player of the Year Trophy with two games to go.

Skipper Russell Penn is in the driving seat having pulled clear at the top after receiving two points as our second-highest rated performer in the 1-0 defeat at Shrewsbury.

Keith Lowe is two points behind Penn with Michael Coulson a distant five adrift of the leader.

Midfielder Luke Summerfield moved up to fourth after collecting three points as our man of the match in Shropshire.

John McCombe received the other point on offer as our third-highest rated player.

The two Player of the Month bonus points also went to Summerfield after he polled the most online man-of-the-match votes.

To be in with a chance of presenting The Press Player of the Month prize for April, register your man-of-the-match vote for today’s game against Newport by visiting our website at www.yorkpress.co.uk or tweeting @daveflettpress

The Press Player of the Year standings: Penn 29 points, Lowe 27, Coulson 24, Summerfield 22, Zubar 20, Hyde 18, Ilesanmi 18, McCombe 17, McCoy 16, Olejnik 14, Ingham 12, Fletcher 11, De Girolamo 9, Carson 8, Halliday 7, Montrose 7, Straker 7, Winfield 5, Coulthirst 4, Cisak 3, Jarvis 3, Platt 3, Benning 2, Sinclair 2.

The Press Player of the Month for April standings: Penn 11, Summerfield 7, Ingham 6, Winfield 6, Lowe 3, McCombe 3, Zubar 3, Hyde 1.

Goals: Hyde 10, Fletcher 7, Lowe 6, Coulson 4, De Girolamo 4, Summerfield 4, Carson 2, Coulthirst 2, Penn 2, Sinclair 2, Winfield 2, Zubar 2.

Assists: Coulson 11, Carson 5, Summerfield 5, Hyde 4, Penn 4, McCoy 3, Meikle 3, De Girolamo 2, Fletcher 2, McCombe 2, Halliday 1, Lowe 1, Montrose 1, O’Hanlon 1, Platt 1, Straker 1.

Bad boys: Penn one red, six yellow; Halliday one red, four yellow; McCoy five yellow; Carson four yellow; Hyde one red, two yellow; Coulson, McCombe both three yellow; Winfield, Zubar both one red, one yellow; Benning, Fletcher, Ilesanmi, Montrose, Summerfield all two yellow; Jarvis one red; Lowe, Olejnik, Platt, Straker all one yellow.