Back in May 2016, as the UK was gearing up to vote in the Brexit referendum, 325 York fans made the trip to watch a 1-1 draw with Morecambe at the Globe Arena. It was the final game of a dreadful season that saw City complete their very own Leave campaign to exit the football league. It was also the last away game the Minstermen had played as an EFL team until Saturday's trip to Rotherham.
While the game at the New York Stadium ended with the same 1-1 scoreline, the similarities end there. An incredible 2,479 York fans made the journey to South Yorkshire on this occasion, and will have drawn plenty of encouragement from the team's performance. In fact, while a point might have been considered a satisfactory outcome before kick-off, head coach Scott Lindsey echoed the feelings of most in the ground when he said that City probably deserved all three.
On a balmy afternoon, the travelling contingent packed into the away end were in fine voice as the game kicked off, but in the opening minutes it was Rotherham who looked more confident on the pitch. An early sighting of goal for Paul Mullin was blazed over the bar, though, and City began to settle into the tie.
Joe Grey, a standout performer last week against Bristol Rovers, was again at the heart of York's attacking play. He made the first of several darting runs through the Millers’ midfield and exchanged passes with Joe Felix, but Grey's resulting shot was deflected wide. Another surge forward by Grey led to the ball breaking for Alex Newby just outside the area, but Newby too saw his effort blocked.
Rotherham were offering little threat from open play, but on 20 minutes they were awarded a contentious corner that led to the opening goal. Kian Spence's delivery found its way to young defender Ewan Otoo who had made a run towards the near post, and Otoo’s flicked finish evaded everyone to find its way into the far corner of the net. While there may have been question marks over whether the corner should have been given, City's defending of the set piece was equally questionable, with a fairly tame delivery being allowed to bounce before reaching Otoo on the edge of the six-yard box.
As against Bristol Rovers last week, having conceded the opener against the run of play City seemed to lose composure for a period, and had Zak Johnson to thank for intercepting a dangerous cross by Jili Buyabu, who looked the home team's most threatening player. Unfortunately, Johnson appeared to aggravate an existing groin injury in the process of making the block, and made way for Ryan Fallowfield soon after, with Morgan Williams shifting to the middle of the back three.
On 40 minutes, after a spell with relatively few chances for either side, City sprang into life again to equalise. Joe Grey's progressive dribbling was again key, as he collected the ball wide on the right after an overhit Rotherham corner and advanced upfield, cutting inside Buyabu before sending a pass out to Harry Boyes on the left. Boyes’ cross made its way through to Alex Newby, who arrived at the far post to divert a left-footed finish low past Ted Cann for his second goal in as many games.
City then had their tails up for the remainder of the first half, and came agonizingly close to going in 2-1 up at the break. First, Ollie Pearce headed just over after a corner was flicked into his path by Mark Kitching at the near post. Then, in the third minute of time added on, an even better chance was spurned. Pearce played Newby through on goal, and when Newby's effort was palmed into Pearce’s path by Cann it looked a simple task to convert the rebound. Pearce took a touch rather than striking first time, however, which allowed Millers defender Lenny Agbaire just enough time to scramble across and divert the shot wide of the post.
Two minutes into the second half, Pearce had the ball in the net as he ran onto a lofted pass from Ollie Banks, took a touch then coolly slotted past Cann. His celebrations were cut short when he realised (eventually) that the assistant had flagged for offside. It looked a tight call, and Lindsey stated after the game that he felt it had gone the wrong way. Pearce's reputation for taking a few weeks of the season to find his scoring form continues, but he showed no signs of rustiness with that finish.
City remained in the ascendancy as the half progressed, and carved out a decent opening on the counter when Morgan Williams went on a marauding run into the Rotherham half before slipping the ball through to Joe Felix on the right. Felix was unopposed as he entered the box, but his cross towards Pearce at the far post was well read by the covering Agbaire.
Rotherham boss Alex Bruce began to ring the changes, introducing defender Kieran Ngwenya and veteran striker Tom Bradshaw from the bench. Bradshaw offered an outlet for the Millers, and hit an ambitious effort from 30 yards not long after his introduction, but it sailed high and wide. City fashioned another chance themselves when Pearce found Newby with a neat flick, but Newby's low strike from the edge of the area stung the palms of Cann.
The flow of the game began to be disrupted by further substitutions: Arthur Read, Charlie McArthur and Jeff King entered the fray for York, while experienced defender Joe Rafferty came on for Rotherham. With a quarter of an hour to play, Bruce was forced into another change as Mullin took a knock and was replaced by Ar’Jany Martha. Mullin's afternoon had been a frustrating one, mostly spent tussling with City's centre-backs, and the change did not seem to weaken the home side.
In fact, a spell of concerted Rotherham pressure followed Mullin's removal. First, Otoo slipped a well-timed pass between the City centre-backs to set the substitute Bradshaw through on goal, but Alfie McNally did well to close down the angle and make a vital save, and Spence’s effort from the rebound was diverted into the side netting by the outstretched leg of McArthur. Then, from the resulting corner, goalscorer Otoo nearly converted a carbon copy of his first-half strike as he met the delivery at the near post, but this time his flick drifted well wide.
City began to look a little weary in the closing stages, but at the death they had another excellent chance to steal the win. Pearce did well to win the ball from Otoo and backheel it into the path of Grey, who touched it on to Jeff King ten yards from goal. The City substitute smashed his effort well over the bar, though, in what was the final kick of the game.
York had to settle for a point, but remain unbeaten in the league and can draw confidence from having more than matched a side that were two levels higher last season. The injury to Zak Johnson will be a concern: while Williams coped admirably after moving into the centre of the back three, a lengthy spell out for the ex-Sunderland man would surely weaken City's back line. There were also times when the presence of Josh Stones would undoubtedly have helped: McNally sent several long balls upfield which Pearce competed for gamely, but this approach would have been better suited to an attack with Stones at its apex.
Overall, though, it's encouraging to see how quickly many of last year's title winning side have adapted to life in League Two. Joe Grey is thriving in a more attacking role, as is Alex Newby: both look set to be more involved than might have been anticipated in pre-season. Ollie Banks, meanwhile, has settled back into life in a league where he has spent much of his career, showing his typical composure on the ball and dictating play from his new deep-lying position. The New York Stadium might not quite be a “concrete jungle where dreams are made of”, but having now gone toe to toe with two of the bigger sides in this division, City may well be feeling like there's nothing they can't do.
