Defensive frailties cost York two points against Cambridge

York City manager Gary Mills was left to rue a slack defensive performance as his side twice came back from behind to gain a draw against Cambridge at Bootham Crescent last night.

Cambridge opened the scoring on eight minutes when Harry Dunk latched onto a ball played between the two York centre-halves, Jamal Fyfield and Chris Smith, and slotted it past Michael Ingham in the City goal. It was a goal that would have left the York management team incensed, as nobody tracked Dunk’s run and his shot should have been easily saved, only for Ingham to let the ball slip through his body.

However, the goal seemed to spark the Minstermen into life and they were rewarded for some patient build-up play on 21 minutes. Influential midfielder Patrick Mclaughlin cut into the box after a jinking run and fired straight at the keeper, but in form striker Jason Walker found himself in the right place at the right time and headed home from the rebound.

If City fans were hoping that the equalising goal would prove to be the turning point within the game, then they were made to think again ten minutes later. Ashley Carew found himself in space down the Cambridge right, and when James Meridith failed to close him down quickly enough, the winger whipped in a dangerous cross to the near post which was met by York old boy Michael Gash, who headed powerfully past Ingham.

Again, slack defending was to blame for the goal, with Meridith failing to close Carew down, and then neither Ingham nor any York defender dealing with the cross. Ingham’s positioning was also suspect; he should have been much tighter to his near post and not allow Gash’s header to beat him on his nearside.

York came out in the second half a revitalised side and looked far more confident on the ball. Their passing was much sharper and the majority of the play happened in the Cambridge half. However, for all York’s good work in midfield, they lacked the cutting edge needed to pierce the Cambridge defence and had to wait until the last minute of normal time to gain a deserved equaliser. Again it was star striker Walker who produced the goods, whipping an unstoppable free kick into the top corner of the Cambridge goal from 20 yards out.

In terms of York’s overall play, the game illustrated perfectly why their style can be both highly effective and highly ineffective at the same time. City stuck to their ideals and looked to get the ball wide at every opportunity, but in the first half, wingers Ashley Chambers and Matty Blair were making runs that were far too predictable. York looked better when they played through Scott Kerr and Andre Boucaud in the middle of the park, and when either of these players got onto the ball there was a sense that something could happen.

Jason Walker again showed why he is probably the best striker playing outside of league football with his clinical finishing and sharp eye in front of goal. However, I believe that he could be so much better if he varied his play slightly. Walker has a tendency to drop off the front line, which can be effective when Chambers and Blair cut in behind him and run at defenders. Playing as a lone front man provided Walker with a different test last night, and he would have been much better occasionally holding the line to offer variation and keep the Cambridge defence in two minds.

In the end it proved to be a case of nothing gained but nothing lost for York. They remain 3rd in the league, but there will have been a lingering thought that they should have beaten Cambridge yesterday, and all points will be vital come the end of the season.

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