Day’s spot kick save spurs on the Exiles
NEWPORT’S play-off hopes are all but over, despite ending a run of four straight defeats.
Manager Jimmy Dack, though, was keen to take home only positives from Bootham Crescent.
David Tutonda and Lee Minshull scored for the Exiles and Joe Day saved Jake Hyde’s penalty, but Plymouth’s win means Newport need an unlikely goal difference swing to make the play-offs.
Dack insists his team have been punching above their weight, however, and was unable to pick faults in a good, allround team performance.
“We’ve never been involved in a promotion bid at this level,” he said.“There’s a lot of pressure in these games and the players will be better for it next year. It will be a good test for next season.
“I thought we were outstanding from start to finish. Our game plan was spot on, we passed the ball and I thought we were worthy winners.
“As a club, we have massively over-achieved.
“When you look at other clubs, compared to us, we don’t even own our own ground or a training facility.”
Miles Storey should have given Newport the lead on 18 minutes but somehow blazed over when unmarked after Ryan Jackson’s accurate cross picked him out.
They finally took the lead on 49 minutes, with Yan Klukowski getting to the byline to pull back for the unmarked Tutonda to smash home.
York responded well, though, and Michael Coulson should have scored on 53 minutes.
Shaq Coulthirst beat Day to a long ball and crossed first-time, but Coulson fired over when at full stretch.
Day then saved from Coulthirst’s low crossshot, before producing a fingertip save to deny John Lowe’s header moments later.
Hyde had a great chance to level on the hour when Lowe was fouled in the area from a corner, but Day dived to his left to turn the penalty wide.
And Minshull made Hyde pay, rounding off victory with a bullet header from Mark Byrne’s freekick on 75 minutes.
York boss Russ Wilcox was left with mixed feelings.
He said: “If we look at the small picture, then this game was a disappointment, but, if we look at the bigger picture, we could be sat in Cheltenham’s or Tranmere’s dressing rooms now.
“Our performance wasn’t good enough on this occasion and there were pivotal moments when Michael Coulson missed his chance and Jake Hyde had the penalty saved.
“They were the better team and I thought their two wing-backs caused us problems, so I’m disappointed we didn’t finish the season on a high.”