Saturday 26th December 2009. Blue Square Premier.Kit Kat Crescent (AKA Bootham Crescent)
York City (1) 3 Brodie 2 (inc 1 pen), Gash
Mansfield Town (0) 0
Admission £14, Programme £3
Attendance 4587, Away support 642
There may be trouble ahead!!!By heck, I've seen some one sided games of football in my time and I've also witnessed a whole load of inept away performances from Mansfield Town ... the most recent example of both being this afternoon at Bootham Crescent.
To think, I missed the "Some Mothers Do Have 'Em" nativity play episode being repeated on TV to watch this.
Hmm ... I dropped a whoopsy!
It beggars belief that this was a third (City) versus fourth (Stags) in the table clash, given the apparent gulf in quality between the sides in all departments today.
Sure, Mansfield had players missing through illness, others playing out of position ... and for some unfathomable reason a couple of proven performers capable of making a difference sat on the bench (or out on loan banging in goals for Gateshead), but after a brisk opening ten minutes or so, they simply caved in and let York boss the game.
There is no denying that the Minstermen are a good team who are well drilled and stick to their game-plan, but it was hard to tell on this showing whether they had developed an invincible streak and were becoming an excellent footballing side before our very eyes, or if the Stags were making them look far better than they already are, by standing off and allowing York all the time and space they needed to dismantle them into the process ... City's third goal being a case in point as Richard Brodie danced past a whole line of static defenders before laying the ball off for Michael Gash to score.
As I said, the home side proved to be a good team today, a very good team even, but a large number of the away supporters weren't singing 'What a load of rubbish' at the Mansfield Town players for nothing.
I didn't join in ... I was (just about) consoling myself with the fact that at least I was getting another game in towards the sponsored target I've been set to help raise money for Worksop Town.
Of course though, that meant I had to tough it out right up until the very end. Bugger!
To think, I missed the "Some Mothers Do Have 'Em" nativity play episode being repeated on TV to watch this.
Hmm ... I dropped a whoopsy!
It beggars belief that this was a third (City) versus fourth (Stags) in the table clash, given the apparent gulf in quality between the sides in all departments today.Sure, Mansfield had players missing through illness, others playing out of position ... and for some unfathomable reason a couple of proven performers capable of making a difference sat on the bench (or out on loan banging in goals for Gateshead), but after a brisk opening ten minutes or so, they simply caved in and let York boss the game.
There is no denying that the Minstermen are a good team who are well drilled and stick to their game-plan, but it was hard to tell on this showing whether they had developed an invincible streak and were becoming an excellent footballing side before our very eyes, or if the Stags were making them look far better than they already are, by standing off and allowing York all the time and space they needed to dismantle them into the process ... City's third goal being a case in point as Richard Brodie danced past a whole line of static defenders before laying the ball off for Michael Gash to score.
As I said, the home side proved to be a good team today, a very good team even, but a large number of the away supporters weren't singing 'What a load of rubbish' at the Mansfield Town players for nothing.I didn't join in ... I was (just about) consoling myself with the fact that at least I was getting another game in towards the sponsored target I've been set to help raise money for Worksop Town.
Of course though, that meant I had to tough it out right up until the very end. Bugger!
Richard Brodie fires home his and York City's second from the spotIn the morning, with scheduled fixtures toppling like dominoes because of the recent weather making hundreds of pitches across the country unplayable, I advised several friends to head to Shirebrook Town to see Rudy Funk's Rainworth MW in action, because that game was definitely on (in the end it was the only game in both divisions of the NCEL to go ahead).
Unfortunately I didn't heed my own words and went to York instead.
I could kick myself , but on current form I'd probably miss ... even such a wide target!
Just as we entered York and were deciding which of our usual watering holes to frequent, I received a text message that the game we were heading to was now only going ahead if the pitch passed a second inspection ... it was "definitely on" before we left ... but I've heard that before in the not so distant past.
'Fortunately', the referee gave the game the go ahead, but by about 4.05PM I was wishing he hadn't.
Unfortunately I didn't heed my own words and went to York instead.
I could kick myself , but on current form I'd probably miss ... even such a wide target!
Just as we entered York and were deciding which of our usual watering holes to frequent, I received a text message that the game we were heading to was now only going ahead if the pitch passed a second inspection ... it was "definitely on" before we left ... but I've heard that before in the not so distant past.'Fortunately', the referee gave the game the go ahead, but by about 4.05PM I was wishing he hadn't.
The 'Bolsover Massive' were in town ;-)So, to summarise:
Lively start from the Stags but they faded away quickly and at times went missing altogether. York realised the game was there for taking and never looked back after Brodie put them ahead. At half time it was still only 1-0, but despite a change in personnel Mansfield conceded a penalty right at the start of the second half, when Brodie (who else) outwitted Luke Jones on the edge of the box and was sent tumbling to the ground. Jones was red carded, Brodie hit home City's second from the resulting spot kick and by the time Michael Gash put the third goal away, created by Brodie (of course) the game had effectively been over for ages anyway.
Well played York City.
And I have nothing more to add.
Lively start from the Stags but they faded away quickly and at times went missing altogether. York realised the game was there for taking and never looked back after Brodie put them ahead. At half time it was still only 1-0, but despite a change in personnel Mansfield conceded a penalty right at the start of the second half, when Brodie (who else) outwitted Luke Jones on the edge of the box and was sent tumbling to the ground. Jones was red carded, Brodie hit home City's second from the resulting spot kick and by the time Michael Gash put the third goal away, created by Brodie (of course) the game had effectively been over for ages anyway.
Well played York City.
And I have nothing more to add.
Stags manager David Holdsworth's post match interview ...
