York men’s firsts suffered their first defeat of the BUCS League season on another miserable trip down the A64 to Leeds Met.
They led 2-0 for much of the first half with goals from Ollie Harrison and Joe Easter before the home side, suspiciously good for a third team, fought their way back to claim an ultimately resounding victory, after a second half performance that Captain Matt Mawdesley claimed to be “the worst of the season so far”.
Leeds Met enjoyed the better possession for much of the first half but never really troubled Rodders McMahon in the York goal; whilst the visitors looked dangerous on the counter, attacking with real pace and purpose.
Ten minutes in, York took the lead. A free kick from the right was viciously whipped in by Alex Tringham to be met at the back post by Harrison, whose downward header bounced across the ‘keeper before going in off the far post.
The men in gold and black doubled their lead soon after. A charging run and cross from Dan Jones found Dalton Harris in the box who showed real composure to tee up Joe Easter for his first goal in university football- a wonderful, curling right footed effort from twenty yards out evading the outstretched glove of the home ‘keeper.
York continued to look comfortable, with striker Harris terrorising the Met defence with his strength and pace, before, five minutes from half time, the home side pulled one back after a counter-attack of their own. The right-winger burst down the line to cross for the striker who, unmarked in the middle, headed down and in off the post giving McMahon no chance. Despite the setback, York were still in a strong position going into the break.
However, there would be little to cheer in the second half. The visitors were penned back in their own third for virtually the entire second half as wave after wave of Leeds Met attacks threatened the York backline. The pressure finally told as the home side equalised, an awful sliced effort from their midfielder somehow found an attacker who headed in.
Ten minutes from time, Leeds Met took the lead. An in-swinging free kick from the left evaded everyone to find McMahon’s far corner before a similar free-kick was tapped in by the striker to extend Met’s lead just minutes later.
This finally seemed to galvanise York who produced virtually their first attack of the half as they pulled a goal back. Harris, who had been wrestled to the floor for the entirety of the second period, twisted and turned in the box before being brought down. The home ‘keeper saved Matt Mawdesley’s resultant penalty before the York skipper drilled in the rebound; but it proved too little, too late.
McMahon, Jones, Bainbridge, Bellshaw, Tringham, Easter, Gill, Harrison (Fernando), Davies (Mawdesley), Earnshaw (Atherton), Harris