York City claim crucial three points despite late Dorking pressure

A seventh minute strike from Manny Duku and a fantastic finish from Ryan Fallowfield in the second-half aided York to a major victory, which sees Michael Morton’s side add wriggle room at the bottom end of the table.

Gateshead failed to defeat Torquay United elsewhere, meaning that City are now eight points clear of the relegation zone.

Duku latched onto a loose ball in the six-yard box to send York in front, after Mitch Hancox’s excellently-struck half-volley rattled the post before deflecting into Duku’s path.

Fallowfield provided that extra comfort in the second half, after capitalising on some sloppy defending. A pinpoint cross from Olly Dyson found the defender at the back post, who spun his man before slamming the ball into the roof of the net.

Dorking did find a route back into the game with five minutes remaining, after substitute Dan Gallagher headed the Wanderers back into the contest.

But after withstanding late pressure from the away side, City held onto a pivotal three points in their National League campaign.

It was the first of a ‘double-header’ weekend for the club, with the Dorking fixture dedicated to the #HerGameToo campaign to support women in sport. The match was paired with the York City Ladies match on Sunday afternoon, as the Minsterbelles face Middlesbrough at Haxby Road in the County Cup semi-final.

Morton opted to make three changes from his side that fell to defeat to Altrincham on Tuesday night, with Alex Hurst, Shaq Forde and Mark Ellis all returning to the starting eleven.

The changes meant that Max Kouogun, Maziar Kouhyar and Luke James all dropped to the bench.

Despite Dorking eventually coming into the contest towards the end, it was York who possessed the majority of chances early on.

Some good battling down the right-hand side saw Duku break in behind a slow Dorking line, and with just one defender covering Duku and the goalkeeper, the striker’s sloppy cross towards Mitch Hancox was cut out and scrambled clear for a corner.

And from the resulting corner, a teasing Hancox cross to the front post was narrowly glanced over the bar from Ellis, looking to make an impact in his return to the side.

Dorking were struggling to get a look-in in the early stages, with York controlling possession in the middle.

And their patient play was to be rewarded just seven minutes in, as Duku poked City in front.

A loose ball fell to Hancox who unleashed a venomous half-volley on goal. The post denied the midfielder, but luck fell York’s way, as the ball deflected off of goalkeeper Lincoln to allow Duku to simply tap home from close-range.

Ellis was once again close to adding his first goal in City colours, as another Hancox cross saw the defender nod an effort on target, which Lincoln scrambled across to parry wide.

Duku would quickly turn from hero to zero not long after, as Hancox fed the ball through to the striker, beating the offside trap. And with just the goalkeeper to beat, Duku someone chipped the ball wide of Lincoln’s goal, to the bemusement of the City fanbase.

Dorking manager White was being very vocal on the touchline, and found himself on the wrong end of a red card due to something which he had allegedly said to the fourth official.

The away side would have their first attempt on goal on the half-an-hour mark, as Luke Moore wasted a free-kick in a frightening position, curling the ball wide of the target.

And on the brink of half-time, it was nearly two again for City.

A darting run from Olly Dyson saw the midfielder with gaping room in the middle, but his curling strike narrowly bounced wide of Lincoln’s target.

Heading into the second half, York continued their dominance through Dyson again.

A brilliant run from Alex Hurst down the wing allowed the 23-year-old to cut the ball back onto Dyson, who somehow sliced the ball wide from close-range.

The frustrations continued for York, as Forde played a clever ball inside to place Pybus into a one-on-one situation with Lincoln, but the midfielder somehow struck his effort wide of the target.

And with all these chances going to waste for City, it began to feel like one of those days where Dorking were going to sit back and nab a late equaliser.

But Fallowfield wasn’t going to allow that to happen.

York added their second of the afternoon after some sloppy defending from Dorking allowed Dyson to dink a delicate ball to the back post, finding Fallowfield who was able to spin and rifle an effort past an unlucky Lincoln.

Dorking quickly responded and looked to find a route back into the match, as a long throw wasn’t dealt with properly and fell to McShane at the back post.

McShane adjusted himself to unleash a excellent effort on goal, prompting Whitley to produce a fantastic reactive stop, tipping the strike onto the bar before the ball was scrambled clear.

Forde was having a rare quiet game for York, but looked to contribute to a third of the afternoon as his teasing cross found Duku at the back post, who flicked it back inside into the path of Dyson. With the goal at his mercy, Dyson appeared to be pulled back by a Dorking defender, but the referee controversially ruled out any shouts of a penalty.

And it would prove even more of a big decision just minutes later, as Dorking reduced the deficit to one.

A corner from the left found the head of Jason Prior, who cleverly flicked onto the substitute Gallagher to nod home from close-range.

As the game approached stoppage time, it was head in hands for the Dorking bench, as a golden chance went begging.

Josh Bowerman latched onto a teasing header again from Prior, and with an unacceptable amount of space at the back post, Bowerman somehow blasted his strike over the bar. A massive let off for York.

With late pressure mounting and Dorking proving a late thorn in York’s side, the Minstermen managed to hold onto a pivotal three points in their National League season, seeing Morton’s side remain in 18th position.

York City: Whitley 7, Fallowfield 8, Duckworth 7, Ellis 7, Crookes 6, Pybus 6, Dyson 7 (Kouogun, 90), Hancox 7 (McLaughlin 6, 64), Hurst 7, Forde 6, Duku 7 (James, 82)

Subs not used: Campbell, Kouhyar

Goals: Duku (7), Fallowfield (56)

Yellow cards: McLaughlin (68)

Dorking Wanderers: Lincoln, Francomb, Craig, Kennedy (B. Taylor 66), Moore (Gallagher, 46), J. Taylor, McShane, Briggs (Muitt, 46), Bowerman, Seager, Prior

Sub not used: Ottaway, Philpot, Taylor

Goals: Gallagher (85)

Yellow cards: Bowerman (74), Gallagher (86)

Red cards: Marc White (18)

York’s star man: Ryan Fallowfield. Yet another commanding performance from the York right-back, who notched in with his second goal in ten days. Looked comfortable at the back and providing a good option down that right-hand side consistently.

Referee: Aaron Jackson

Attendance: 4409 (153)

Shots (on target): 8 (4) | 2 (4)

Corners: 4 | 2

Offsides: 4 | 0

Fouls committed: 8 | 7