Ricky Aguiar hands York City 1-0 victory against Rochdale

City were good value for the three points against their Roses rivals but were almost made to rue their many missed chances in front of goal, with only some heroic defending preventing Dale from scoring amid a late barrage.

Ollie Pearce struck the right-hand post before Joe Felix shaved the crossbar and Dipo Akinyemi thundered a stoppage time effort off the woodwork as Adam Hinshelwood’s side could not quite find the finishing touch.

But in the end, the Minstermen’s only goal came from their first shot on target in the fourth minute.

The City boss will however most likely be more pleased with a second consecutive clean sheet, despite a change of formation that saw four substitutions made on the hour.

Rochdale though were lucky to have maintained their full complement of players after goalkeeper Luke McNicholas appeared to handle the ball outside his box, but appeals were waved away.

Two wins and a draw from their opening three league games leaves York fifth as one of five sides to have earned seven points thus far as their encouraging start to the season continued.

MATCH RECAP: York City 1-0 Rochdale

Hinshelwood named an unchanged starting line-up but was able to welcome back talismanic striker Akinyemi to the bench after a knock that had ruled him out of Saturday’s win against Tamworth.

Both Cameron John and Tyrese Sinclair were eager to impress against their former side, who made three changes, with Finlay Armstrong, Harvey Gilmour and Connor McBride all coming back into the side.

Rochdale dominated the early exchanges, however it was City who fired themselves into a fourth-minute lead against the run of play.

Pearce nipped in front of his marker chasing a long ball out of defence before squaring to Aguiar on the edge of the box, with the midfielder firing low past a diving McNicholas and into the bottom left corner to score his first goal for the club.

Devante Rodney was denied by the offside flag as he looked to find a near-immediate equaliser, with City happy to let their opponents dictate the early possession without their defence being overly challenged.

The hosts though soon found their groove and should have doubled their advantage on the quarter-hour.

Sinclair was released into acres of space on the right wing, but Pearce could not turn home his first-time cross at the far post with the goal gaping.

Rochdale were perhaps lucky to finish the match with 11 players, with McNicholas appearing to handle the ball as he raced out of his box to charge down the onrushing Sinclair, who was left requiring treatment as a result.

Referee John Mulligan though was unmoved, much to the frustration of the home crowd.

Dale captain Ethan Ebanks-Landell was shown the first yellow card of the match after tripping Pearce on the edge of the box four minutes later, but though Sinclair was able to bend the resulting free kick over the wall, McNicholas was able to gather at the second attempt.

An outstanding challenge from Ryan Fallowfield stopped a cross from the lively Tarryn Allarakhia on the half-hour, however, despite Ebanks-Landell being left unmarked from Ryan East’s wicked delivery, he could not keep his header on target.

And Fallowfield was called into action thrice more to thwart efforts from the visitors in the 10 minutes that followed.

Tobi Adebayo-Rowling was left with his head in his hands as his right-wing cross somehow evaded everyone, but it was City who threatened to have the last word before the break as Aguiar went to ground inside the box. Appeals were waved away by the officials once more.

Rochdale came out like a train after the break, with Harrison Male called into action for the first time to deny Kairo Mitchell one-on-one, before a right-wing cross bypassed a sea of bodies inside the box for a City goal kick.

Sinclair’s footwork then left visiting defenders bamboozled, but York could not capitalise on a Fallowfield-orchestrated right-wing attack, nor on successive corners.

The Minstermen though could hardly have come closer to doubling their advantage on 56 minutes.

Billy Chadwick was given free rein to drive through Rochdale’s midfield, racing forward from halfway before finding Pearce, who unleashed a fierce strike from the edge of the box against the right-hand post.

Hinshelwood responded with a quadruple substitution on the hour, with Akinyemi, Lenell John-Lewis, Marvin Armstrong and Darragh O’Connor – making his first appearance of the season – all entering the fray.

Switching to a 3-5-2 formation, McNicholas easily stopped Akinyemi’s tame effort before pinball inside the box presented Armstrong with a golden opportunity, but he could not get the ball out of his feet as he seemed set to score.

O’Connor handed Rochdale their own gilt-edged chance after a handball on the edge of the box, however, East fired the resultant free kick straight into the City wall.

John-Lewis then slipped in Chadwick, but a heavy touch allowed McNicholas to snuff out the danger.

Joe Felix impressed on both sides of defence, and saw a strike tipped onto the crossbar late on. (Image: Tom Poole)

Felix was next to try his luck for the hosts with a follow-up effort after Armstrong had seen an effort blocked, with the Rochdale goalkeeper just able to get fingertips to tip his strike onto the crossbar with three minutes of normal time remaining.

Ebanks-Landell flashed Aaron Henry’s cross wide of the far post as the visitors searched for a stoppage time equaliser, but it was York who should have instead doubled their lead when Akinyemi crashed a long-range effort off the crossbar.

There was still time for more chances for Rochdale, as after a heroic block had conceded a corner, Male was able to tip Sam Beckwith’s shot clear.

Jake Burger then fired the ball into the side netting with just seconds remaining as those inside the LNER Community Stadium breathed a huge sigh of relief.

YORK CITY: Male, Fallowfield, Howe (c), Sinclair (John-Lewis 60), Hunt (McLaughlin 90+4), Pearce (Akinyemi 60), Batty, Chadwick, Aguiar (Armstrong 60), John (O’Connor 60), Felix.

UNUSED SUBSTITUTES: Nathaniel-George, Watson.

GOAL: Aguiar (4)

YELLOW CARDS: Armstrong (62) O’Connor (69), Hunt (76), John-Lewis (84), Male (90+2)

ROCHDALE: McNicholas, Gordon, Armstrong (Beckwith 74) East (Henry 88), Ebanks-Landell (c), Allarakhia (Senior 88), Gilmour, Mitchell, Rodney, Adebayo-Rowling, McBride (Burger 74).

UNUSED SUBSTITUTES: Kelly, Ferguson, Henderson

YELLOW CARD: Ebanks-Landell (25)

YORK'S STAR MAN: Dan Batty. The midfielder seemed to be everywhere for the Minstermen as his influence within Hinshelwood's squad continues to come to the fore. A mention too for Joe Felix, who impressed from both sides of defence.

ATTENDANCE: 5,362 (623)

REFEREE: John Mulligan