MCNAMARA WON’T BE DRAWN ON HIS FUTURE
JACKIE McNamara fended off questions as to whether a 1-1 draw at Braintree was the “positive result” he needed to prevent him resigning as York City manager.
The former Dundee United chief set himself the ultimatum following the 6-1 midweek trouncing at Guiseley, but the Minstermen threw away the chance of a first away win in 30 trips when Lee Barnard converted a 90th-minute penalty.
York skipper Simon Heslop had earlier given the visitors a sixth-minute lead, but Sim Akinola went on to have a spot kick saved by Kyle Letheren before he was later beaten from 12 yards by exSouthampton striker Barnard.
On his uncertain future, McNamara said: “I will speak to the chairman first and I honestly don’t know what happens next. It’s a bit too soon.
“There’s a lot of thinking to do. I saw fight and commitment from the team, but I was disappointed with both penalties that were awarded against us and these things go against you in this situation.
“Saying that, we should have got a second goal when Danny Galbraith went straight through.”
Heslop fired across the face of goal into the bottom corner from 15 yards after he had been sent clear through the right channel by Shaun Rooney.
Moments later, Richard Brodie sent Galbraith clear on goal, but he scuffed his shot against a post.
On 12 minutes, the Iron had a great chance to level when Akinola tumbled over Heslop’s outstretched leg, but Letheren dived low to his right to keep out his penalty. Braintree, though, took control of the match after the break with Letheren saving smartly from Chez Isaac and Akinola went close with an acrobatic overhead kick. Michael Cheek was also denied by Letheren before being shoved over in the box by Jack Higgins. With the chance to save his side from a fifth straight home defeat, Barnard then sent Letheren the wrong way, finding his vacated, bottom-right corner. Pleased Braintree chief Hakan Hayrettin felt his side’s display deserved maximum points, while praising a dropped Barnard for keeping his composure after being hailed from the bench. “We had so many chances in their six-yard box, and didn’t take them but, if you keep buying raffle tickets, you eventually win something and we probably deserved the top prize with a victory,” he said. “I worked for John Still who has won this league and he always says you look a genius when you make good substitutions and an idiot when you don’t. “The chairman asked me if I was sure about what I was doing when I left him (Barnard) out of the side because he’s experienced, but he came on and, having missed our last two penalties, he stuck it in well.”