It may be something of a stretch to claim that the storm clouds gathering over York on Saturday were any kind of metaphor for the general mood around the club, but after three consecutive draws some murmurings of fan discontent were certainly emerging in the lead-up to the game against Port Vale. On a blustery afternoon that made fluid football a challenge, though, Scott Lindsey's side coped admirably with both the conditions and any perceived negativity to return to winning ways. The performance was solid rather than spectacular, and relied on some individual excellence from goalkeeper Alfie McNally, but will go some way to restoring confidence that the Minstermen remains a formidable side on home turf.
Lindsey made three changes to the side that had drawn with Accrington on Tuesday evening, with Ryan Fallowfield returning on the right side of the back three, and perhaps more notably both Arthur Read and Frankie Maguire being handed their first league starts for the club. The changes, partly necessitated by a knock picked up by Joe Grey, meant Ollie Banks being pushed further upfield into the right-sided no.10 role that he had such success in last season.
Read and Maguire would probably have chosen more favourable weather for their introduction to the starting eleven. Storm Boleo was beginning to make its presence felt as kick-off arrived, with the driving rain that had also been present for the Accrington fixture now joined by strong gales. The wind direction appeared to favour City in the first half, with Vale keeper Marko Maroši seeing many of his clearances blown back towards him, but despite some promising moves York were unable to fashion any clear opportunities in the opening stages.
When chances did arrive, they fell initially to the visitors. First, Oli Lynch did well to bring down a Maroši clearance then send the ball along the right touchline into the path of Kyle Dempsey, but although Keyrol Figueroa received Dempsey's pass and shrugged off the attentions of Jack Hunt, his shot from a narrow angle was well blocked by York keeper McNally. City again had the young custodian to thank for keeping the scores level on 26 minutes, when Lynch's harmless-looking shot took a deflection and would have sneaked in at the near post were it not for the quick reflexes shown by McNally to adjust his positioning and save.
The wind did help in assisting a York attempt soon after, when another of Maroši’s long kicks found itself forced back by the breeze and Vale’s defenders struggled to read the flight of the ball. It broke to Frankie Maguire, who outmuscled his challenger and almost opened his City account in spectacular fashion with a strike from range that forced the visitors' Slovakian stopper into a low save at his far post. Read, who looked perhaps the liveliest player on the pitch in the first period, then saw his shot blocked after Harry Boyes had set him up from the right. The score being goalless at half-time was probably a fair reflection on a 45 minutes short on incident and quality.
The first chance of note in the second half saw Port Vale centre-back Cameron Humphreys go close from distance. Humphreys collected the ball 30 yards out and, undeterred by a career scoring record of just 3 goals in over 200 games, hit a powerful strike that went close enough to send a spray of rain up from the net as it zipped past the angle of post and bar. McNally, who had been kept busy in the first half and would be called into action again later on, was for once rooted to the spot.
Conceding from set pieces has been a recurring issue for York this season, but nine minutes into the second half it was their turn to score from a well-worked dead ball routine. Ollie Banks won a free-kick on the right after being pulled over by Kyle John, and despite the presence of set piece specialist Read on the pitch, Alex Hunt stepped up to take it. Hunt’s curling delivery arced behind the Vale defensive line and was met by Zak Johnson, who arrived unmarked ten yards out from goal to thunder a volley into the top corner. It was Johnson’s second goal for the Minstermen and his first at the LNER, but was dispatched with the confidence of a regular goalscorer.
Port Vale continued to look a little stodgy in possession after going behind, but were able to carve out an opportunity for an equaliser a few minutes later. Kyle Dempsey, who was at the heart of most of their positive attacking play, troubled the City back line with a run then exchanged passes with Jaheim Headley before sending a curling effort towards the top right corner, but McNally was equal to it.
Then, just after the hour mark, York added a second. Read sent in a cross from a deep position on the left, which looped towards the waiting Pearce and Banks at the far post. Vale defender Headley was tangling with the pair and seemed to push Pearce to the ground, but in doing so inadvertently knocked the ball into the path of Alex Hunt on the edge of the six-yard box, and Hunt was free to hit a shot that bounced high into the net.
With his side having established a two-goal lead, Scott Lindsey introduced Joe Felix and Alex Newby from the bench. Felix had a chance almost immediately after entering the fray when Pearce released him on the right, but his shot was parried by Maroši and Banks’ follow-up was sent into the side netting.
City were suddenly buoyant, and began to attack in waves as they had done in earlier home games this season. Boyes came close to a fine solo goal when he collected the ball inside his own half and brought it forward before unleashing a low strike from the edge of the area, but his effort cannoned off the far post. The mood of optimism among the home crowd was strengthened when Josh Stones came off the bench with ten minutes to play, in his first appearance since that game at Spotland.
It was the visitors who produced a late flurry of chances as the game entered its closing stages, however, with McNally being forced to earn a third clean sheet of the season. First, Vale substitute Max Watters capitalised on some rare hesitancy by Johnson to emerge with the ball in front of goal, but his poor attempt was sent straight at the York stopper. With five minutes to play, an inswinging cross by John was well met by the head of Jasper Moon, but McNally got down to his left to claw it out. There was little surprise when McNally was announced as man of the match shortly afterwards.
Vale were unable to capitalise on that period of late pressure - their strongest spell in the game - and it ended 2-0. A somewhat spiky post-match interview from Lindsey with BBC Radio York, in which the City head coach bemoaned a perceived negativity around the club’s form, perhaps underlined how important the win had been. It can be filed under “gritty victory” rather than a convincing display of dominance, but as the clocks go back and the nights draw in, the ability to grind out three points in tough conditions like this could be crucial.
I find the way that the player ratings are calculated interesting - yes Hunt scored and assisted but for my money TBJ, Read and McNally all ahead of him, and from East B I thought Fallowfield and Hunt The Elder were at best average, not bourne out by the scoring. How exactly does it work? Please explain, ideally using the phrase ‘pencil pushing geeks’