COLOSSAL ROBINS GIVE YORK THE BOOT
AFRUSTRATING season for York ended with one final kick in the teeth as the Minstermen were sound- ly beaten by Altrincham in what may be the final match at Bootham Crescent.
Goals from Josh Hancock and substitute Tom Peers propelled the visitors to a hardfought victory and seized a place in the final.
“To come here and get the result is colossal,” said Alty boss Phil Parkinson, whose side beat Chester 3-2 in the eliminator.
“In terms of the size of the town, the budget we have and our part-time status, we’re probably the smallest team in the play-offs.
“So to be able to do what we’ve done against Chester and York is a great achievement. Now we’ve got to exploit this opportunity in one final game.”
For York, gazumped by King’s Lynn when points-pergame was used to decide final placings and forced to delay their long-awaited move to a new stadium, this was a savage blow.
“It’s a bitter pill,” admitted manager Steve Watson, who saw his side squander a host of clear-cut openings. “But I’m not going to make excuses.
“We didn’t take our chances, and that sums up why we didn’t win the league even before PPG came into play.
“That’s not pointing the finger at any particular position or player. As a group, we haven’t made enough of the balls fizzed across by Kallum Griffiths and Shane Ferguson. We haven’t capitalised on quality set-pieces.
“We haven’t scored enough goals from midfield. We haven’t scored enough goals from wing-back. We’ve scored from the strikers but could they have got more? Probably. Ultimately, that’s why we’re in a play-off.
“Written on the wall of our dressing room is ‘You must score’. You can’t win a cup final – which is basically what this was – without scoring a goal. That’s where we find ourselves today.”
It’s hard to argue with Watson’s assessment. Mere seconds had elapsed when Alex Kempster blazed over an open goal, and his embarrassment was only amplified when Hancock struck the opener.
A flowing move involving Daniel Mooney and the excellent Connor Hampson culminated in a deflected Jordan Hulme shot that landed in the six-yard box.
York dithered, Hancock pounced, and though Pete Jameson got a solid touch, the ball flopped apologetically over the line.
Truth be told, Altrincham always looked a yard slicker and sharper. They, after all, were playing their second game in seven days whilst York were still shaking off the cobwebs of a four-month hiatus. “Too slow” screamed Watson, and not infrequently.
Nevertheless, the home side posed plenty of problems, particularly down the left where Ferguson ran riot.
Time and again the wing-back found a cross; time and again it was met with an unconvincing header or the meat of a defender’s forehead.
Sean Newton hit the crossbar with what looked suspiciously like a cross. Griffiths had a volley saved. Kempster drilled straight at Tony Thompson.
Even better chances were spurned after the break, with top-scorer Jordan Burrow heading wide before lashing a free shot wide from the penalty spot. Ferguson, architect of both, could only look skywards.
Punishment seemed inevitable and, after Josh Lundstram fluffed a one on one, Alty dealt the killer blow.
Hampson crossed. Moult – immense against the experienced Steve McNulty – glanced a header against the bar. And when it fell to earth, Peers thrashed home.
“As well as we play, the brand of football we do, these lads die for each other on the pitch, and that’s what fans want to see,” added Parkinson. “They showed that again here, and they can go home today and be very proud.”