Football 1sts dominate Hull to secure first BUCS win

University of York 1sts 2 - 0 University of Hull 1sts

A strong performance from York’s firsts led to a well deserved victory; however, it was not as easy as some may think. Weakened by injury after just ten minutes, York had to battle hard for their win, only converting their control of the game into goals in the final half an hour.

A strong York outfit took to the pitch in good voice and confidence, only to be silenced by a strong Hull start. Better passing from the away team may have resulted in the perfect start, but unfortunately for them, their final ball was poor in the opening minutes.

The game was abruptly halted after just ten minutes by a horrific challenge committed by a Hull centre midfielder. The ball was there to be won and York’s Ash Daly cleanly did so only to be wiped out by his opposite man.

The result was a suspected broken leg for Daly and no card for the tackler. Although poor refereeing was a theme throughout the game, this was his biggest error: a yellow card (if not red) was certainly warranted. More importantly, however, Daly was rushed to hospital and it is hoped that the injury isn’t as serious as first feared.

The rest of the first half was quiet, both sides limited to long range efforts on goal that rarely troubled either goalkeeper. But a concern for the York team will be the kicking of their goalkeeper Sam Clitheroe – on more than one occasion he was bailed out by a top class back four, all of whom were on top of their game. Hull were dangerous on the break and last ditch tackles from Chris Grayland and Dan Turnley were needed to keep the game at 0 – 0.

In the last minutes of the first half though, York came alive and really started pushing forward. This culminated in a fantastic through ball from Dan Cox to his fellow striker Connor Brennan, who outpaced the Hull defence, forcing a top-notch save from the impressive Hull goalkeeper.

Some strong words from York coach Peter Renton at half time really lifted the York boys and they came out of the interval looking determined to grab their first BUCS victory of the season. The game was still tight up until midway through the second half, but the superior fitness of York was particularly telling.

Smart passing from the likes of Cox, Brennan and captain Mark McLeod repeatedly opened up the Hull defence. With 25 minutes to go, Cox produced another sublime through ball to Brennan who this time managed to neatly slot the ball home. This was the culmination of the front pair’s high work rate and clear understanding – Brennan in particular worked very hard for the team and deserved his goal.

After York’s first goal, Hull’s heads went down and York’s confidence rose dramatically. This combination resulted in York dominating the closing 20 minutes. Attacks through the middle proved most effective, as Ian McKellow and Mark McLeod constantly fed Dan Cox and Connor Brennan brilliant passes that cut open the Hull defence time after time.

The best move of the game came when York’s goalkeeper fed the ball to his impressive captain, who in turn pinged a ball out wide right to McKellow, who crossed in low for Cox to finished superbly on the turn. The best move of the match was a fitting way to finish the game and cap an impressive performance from York.

Speaking after the game, Renton said that, “The back four played tremendously, laying a solid foundation for the rest of the team.” He was absolutely right. The defence were fantastic, in particular the centre back pairing of Chris Grayland and club president Greg Gardner.

Captain McLeod was a proud man at full time; he praised his team’s “great commitment and desire”. Asked for a man of the match, he refused to single out a single key player, instead highlighting a strong performance across the board from York.

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