DAVIES’ FINE YORK SHOW
YORK CITY ........0
FLEETWOOD Town boss Graham Alexander admitted his team were weary against York City as the Cod Army drew for the third time in four matches since he took over as manager.
York, looking to bounce back from a 3-0 Boxing Day defeat to Chesterfield, created the better chances and but for keeper Scott Davies could have taken all three points.
A string of first-half saves from Davies, on his 100th Fleetwood appearance, kept the visitors at bay, leaving Alexander to rue a belowpar home performance.
“We lacked aggression and energy to be honest,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what tactics or formation you play, if you lack that then you’re going to be lacking in the game and I thought we were lacking in the first half.
“I would have called it points dropped before the game, but looking at it I don’t think we dropped two points.
“I don’t think we played well enough to win, I thought York were the superior team.
“I’m not going to lie to you and say I thought we should have had three points because I don’t think we did.
“You have to have shots on target and you have to have pressure around their goal to win a game and we didn’t have that.”
The result at Highbury Stadium means Fleetwood are still to concede a home goal since Alexander replaced the popular Micky Mellon at the helm.
Davies was called into action for a double save on 12 minutes, first palming away Alex Rodman’s rising drive and then saving one-handed from Jason Walker’s swerving strike.
Five minutes later he saved at Matty Blair’s feet and then produced a finger-tip stop low to his left to deny Michael Potts after left-back Dean Howell was caught in possession.
At the other end David Ball headed over a Jamie McGuire cross.
Four minutes after the break Jason Walker lashed wide after being cleverly set up by Blair for the dangerous visitors.
Blair, a constant threat, also provided a chance for Patrick McLaughlin late on but he was also off target and fired wide.
For the hosts Junior Brown dragged a free kick wide and Michael Ingham - rarely called into action - turned aside a shot from home substitute Steven Gillespie.
The same player had had another chance with a late header but he failed to trouble Ingham.
Despite the host of missed opportunities, City boss Gary Mills felt his side had earned a crucial away point.
And the former Notts County boss singled out centre-half David McGurk, who was making his return from injury, for particular praise.
“The players were excellent,” he said.
“We didn’t take our chances but we’ve come here and got ourselves a clean sheet which I’m absolutely delighted about.
“If you don’t win – which we should have done – then you mustn’t lose and so it’s a big point.
“I am not going to knock my players.
“I thought we were excellent and I’m proud of the performance they’ve put in after a defeat in midweek which I didn’t think we deserved. “I’m pleased for David McGurk. “It’s not easy returning but he’s come back in and done extremely well. It’s all credit to him that he’s put that performance
in.”