Nick Wright previews this weekend's clash between York City Knights and Hull FC
Alex Reid looks at whether the once ever-present appearance of English clubs in the later stages of the Champions League is set to become a thing of the past
Craig Dobson looks at QPR's decision to sack Neil Warnock and replace him with Mark Hughes
James Tompkinson reviews an excellent pre-season victory for the York City Knights against Yorkshire rivals Leeds Rhinos
Facing a Leeds side unbeaten so far this season - and which topped a division two leagues above York in the BUSA competition - this fixture was always going to be one of the toughest encounters for the York 1st XI this season. But with optimism high in the camp after midweek, few would've predicted that York would end up on the recieving end of such a crushing - albeit slightly harsh - scoreline.
Leeds attacked York from the off, although it took 5 minutes for either team to get a shot on goal. Despite Leeds pressure, it was York who had the first shot, but their free kick landed safely into the goalkeeper's hands.
However, just a minute later, Leeds took the lead with their first shot of the game. Recieving a cross-field ball from the left wing, the Leeds right winger got to the byline and crossed the ball for the striker to smash it into the net from three yards out. Accusations of offside were understandably raised by the York players against the Leeds winger, but the goal stood.
York responded well to the apparent injustice of the goal, with captain Dom O'Shea's back-post header and shot from just outside the box both testing the opposition goalkeeper soon after the early setback.
After 20 minutes, York conceded their second. And while one could argue that the first goal was more the referee's fault than the team's, the second goal was definitely the fault of the York defenders. A long kick from the Leeds goalkeeper was missed by first one York defender, then another, and the Leeds striker was allowed to put the ball in the back of the net.
The comedy of errors continued just minutes later. With Leeds winning a corner, a long cross to the back post was headed back across goal. With confusion reigning amongst the York defenders, a Leeds player tapped in his team's third goal of the game to put York three-nil down after 22 minutes.
After the psychological blow of Leeds' two quick-fire goals, York began to settle down into the game again. Their cause wasn't helped, however, by defender Andy Rixon's ankle injury forcing him off the field after 34 minutes, which caused midfielder Andy Ramsden to be drafted in at centre back.
The closing stages of the first half saw York apply a period of sustained pressure on the Leeds defence, with striker Eddie Silson having his first real scoring opportunity of the game, but he shot just wide.
York began the second half as they finished the first, attacking strongly and seemingly getting closer to the goal which their play deserved. Striker Eddie Silson - who had had to chase long balls alone up front in the first half - found himself much more involved in the game, and had a few opportunities to open York's account, although none of them found their way past the opposition keeper.
Unfortunately for York, captain O'Shea was forced to replace himself with Matthew Witherwick after 65 minutes, as the injury that he had been carrying since Wednesday's win over Northumbria finally got the better of him.
On 78 minutes, York conceded their fourth goal of the game. With left-back Alex Cooper bombing foward in support of his team's search for a goal, the Leeds winger found space down the right. Managing to get to the byline, he crossed the ball into the area, where the Leeds striker was waiting to finish from six yards out.
Just as they had done in the first half, York conceded another goal almost immediately, and again it was from a corner. As the match hit 80 minutes, Leeds scored a headed goal to take their tally to a slightly fortuitous five.
Three minutes before the end of the match, Leeds scored their sixth and final goal, and their third from a corner. A header towards goal clipped off the post and fell kindly to a Leeds player, who volleyed it in from eight yards out.
After the match, captain Dom O'Shea reflected on the defeat: "Against a decent quality side like Leeds, you’re always going to struggle. It’s not nice to have to keep going back to take centre again and have a team put six past you. But although it was a heavy defeat, as strange as it sounds, it was good to see the lads disappointed in the changing rooms, because I think everyone learnt a lot from taking a good hiding today."
Despite the defeat, O'Shea had words of praise for make-shit defender Andy Ramsden: "He came on and played in an unfamiliar position and actually steadied it a bit when he did come on, although we gave away a few of goals in the second half. It’s good to know we have players who can do that."
York goalkeeper Andy Emmerson said: "The six goals were fairly scrappy goals. I wouldn’t say they were classic goals. To be honest, our main problem today was clearing the second ball after corners. We could probably have knicked a draw or maybe even a 1-0 if we’d just defended better and not made the mistakes."
However, O'Shea is confident that the York 1st XI can quickly move on from the defeat: "We’ve got Trinity & All Saints on Wednesday so it’s a good chance for us to turn it around." He must be hoping that results like the one against Leeds happen only once in a blue moon.
York 1st XI (4-4-2): Emmerson, Evans, MacWilliams, Rixon (Ramsden 34), Cooper, Laird, O'Shea (Witherwick 65), Wilson, Smith, Gouland, Silson.
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