York City overturn two-goal deficit in 2-2 draw with Notts County

It proved to be a game of two halves at the LNER Community Stadium, with second-half strikes from Billy Chadwick and Ollie Pearce seeing the Minstermen claw back a two-goal deficit to claim a share of the spoils.

County struck early on through Jodi Jones after Harrison Male had conceded an indirect free-kick, but it took until the 42nd minute for them to deservedly double their advantage, with the City defence caught napping as the impressive Alassana Jatta got in behind before beating Male one-on-one.

But the game firmly turned on its head during an entertaining second half.

York came out with a real attacking intensity from the outset, with Joe Felix and Ollie Pearce both squandering chances before Billy Chadwick pulled a goal back with a sublime curling effort on 56 minutes.

And the sides were square with just over 20 minutes remaining, Chadwick pulling the ball back for Pearce to coolly slot across goal and into the bottom left corner to level the scores.

The hosts grew into the game, with Dipo Akinyemi seeing a low strike brush off the right-hand post before Marvin Armstrong fired over the bar, but a winner proved elusive.

MATCH RECAP: York City 2-2 Notts County

Adam Hinshelwood named just 16 players in his matchday squad to County’s 21 due to injuries, and indeed opted to utilise only Ricky Aguiar from the bench in place of Dan Batty during the second half.

Felix impressed from left-back in combination with former Worthing teammate Pearce, with Akinyemi instead utilised in the middle of a front three.

City looked to start like a train and had the game’s first opportunity with barely 30 seconds on the clock when Pearce looked to latch onto a long ball, but Alex Bass was out quickly to clear.

Male was then called into action after Cedwyn Scott had found himself in space on the edge of the box, but he was equal to the forward’s tame shot.

However, the Minstermen were behind with just five minutes on the clock.

After Male had got fingertips to stop a back pass rolling into the back of the net, an indirect free-kick was laid off to Jones, who rifled the ball into the top left corner to break the deadlock.

Playing out from the back was a hallmark of the hosts’ afternoon, but it often left them under undue pressure, with Callum Howe reacting well to thwart Dan Crowley’s cross after they had lost the ball from their own free-kick just outside the box.

A similar incident presented the ball to the lively Jatta on the quarter-hour, but his effort was straight at the City shot-stopper.

County though continued to see the better of the play, with Aaron Nemane’s wicked delivery rolling across the face of goal and Darragh O’Connor clearing off the line before Male punched a follow-up effort clear.

The Minstermen wasted a golden opportunity to equalise as the half reached its midpoint when Akinyemi raced through a gap in the Magpies’ defence, but his passwas narrowly in front of the supporting Armstrong as he looked to finish with the goal gaping.

Male then conceded the game’s first corner after making a smart stop with his legs, but though Jatta was first to it, Alex Hunt was able to hack the ball clear.

Armstrong was flagged offside as he looked to play in Akinyemi after running onto a long ball before Howe was winded, falling awkwardly after trying to acrobatically clear a cross.

But it was the Magpies who went into half time with a two-goal advantage.

City’s defence was all at sea as Jatta was able to nip in behind, collecting a right-wing cross before finishing into the bottom right-hand corner one-on-one with Male three minutes before the break.

However, despite being left with it all to do in the second half, the Minstermen turned the game on its head.

Within minutes of the restart, Felix had been inches away from connecting with Pearce’s teasing through ball, before the latter’s cross was overhit for a goal kick, but those proved to be warnings that County did not heed.

Scott turned right-back Ryan Fallowfield inside out to win a free-kick on the edge of the box that was easily cleared, but that was among County’s best chances in a second half in which they offered relatively little.

Akinyemi stung Bass’ palms from the edge of the box before the Minstermen sublimely halved the deficit in the 56th minute.

Pearce’s fancy footwork saw him weave past several County defenders before pulling the ball back to Chadwick on the edge of the box, who set himself before curling a sublime strike past a diving Bass and into the top right corner.

Billy Chadwick halved the deficit with a superb curling strike from the edge of the box. (Image: Tom Poole)

The visitors looked for an immediate response, but Male made a smart stop to his right before Jatta was flagged offside as he looked to run clear.

Aguiar replaced Batty in City’s only change just after the hour, with his side still firmly in the ascendancy as Pearce headed Fallowfield’s far-post cross back across goal and into the path of Akinyemi, but Bass was up well to claim.

And the Minstermen were level with just over 20 minutes remaining, with Chadwick repaying the favour of his earlier goal to Pearce.

The former Gateshead forward was afforded space on the right wing, pulling the ball back to Pearce, who calmly guided the ball back across goal and into the bottom left corner to level the scores, a just reward for his efforts.

Ryley Reynolds’ through ball had too much on it for fellow substitute David McGoldrick to latch onto before City squandered a golden chance to take the lead.

Akinyemi was presented with possession after a County trialist had slipped on the edge of the box, but could only watch on as his strike brushed off the outside of the post and narrowly wide.

The visitors saw consecutive corners blocked but the majority of the late chances fell City’s way, however Armstrong could only fire into a sea of bodies with four minutes remaining as the spoils were shared.

YORK CITY: Male, Fallowfield, O’Connor, Howe, Hunt, Akinyemi, Pearce, Armstrong, Batty (Aguiar 61) Chadwick, Felix.

UNUSED SUBSTITUTES: Watson, McLaughlin, Gravata, Marshall.

GOALS: Chadwick (56), Pearce (69)

NOTTS COUNTY: Bass, Bedeau, Crowley, Austin, Jones, Nemane, Scott, Robertson, Macari, Jatta, Platt.

SUBSTITUTES: Gordon, McDonald, McGoldrick, Slocombe, Edwards, Chicksen, Stone, Cundy, Trialist A, Reynolds.

GOALS: Jones (5), Jatta (42)

HALF TIME: 0-2

YORK’S STAR MAN: Ollie Pearce. Excellent work rate from the former Worthing frontman, who linked up nicely with City’s forwards and took his own goal well.

ATTENDANCE: 2131 (532)

REFEREE: Ross Joyce