York had already won Roses when the football 1sts took to the field to play one of the tournament’s biggest fixtures, in front of a crowd of over around two hundred people.
On neutral territory, York, a BUCS league 2B side, would be expected to lose to Lancaster, a league 1A side. However, home advantage can make a difference. Especially for York, on 22 acres.
The first half was cagey. Lancaster pressed down the left with Tom Wood and Keir Hannity, but Oscar Lynch and Dan Turley were solid at the back for York. But the home side were having problems building attacks of their own, struggling to find sufficient space in midfield and instead playing the ball over the top for Connor Brennan, who, for all is strengths, is not a natural target man.
York’s first strike on goal was from Brennan, who picked the ball up on the edge of the area after Nav Jabarkhyl’s shot was blocked. Minutes later Jabarkhyl released Dan Atherton down the left. Atherton was in a difficult position, and could only scuff the ball into the feet of Lancaster centre-back Alex Low.
It was becoming more and more apparent that Lancaster rout some had been expecting wasn’t coming; Lancaster’s John Moran had been the busier of the two goalkeepers.
One of Lancaster’s first forays forward saw Dan Hill fly into the penalty area, and Turley had to stay composed and time his tackle well to win the ball without taking the player first.
A goal seemed imminent as Brennan made Moran work to stop a low shot, and Tim Green was called into action to save a Rob Newton header. Green was put under pressure by a couple of weak back-passes from his own defenders, but remained composed to clear both times.
Tom Clarke almost accidentally opened the scoring when he swung a long range free-kick in the area. It evaded Lancaster and York players alike, and scuttled just wide of the far post. The teams went into half-time at 0-0, but Clarke had another chance to score just after the break. The Lancaster goalkeeper beat Brennan to the ball, but inadvertently gave it straight to Clarke, whose chip at goal was cute, but not accurate enough.
Lancaster had a weak penalty appeal turned down moments later. Tim Green flew out of goal to bat away a Chris Baines corner, and then chased it down to the end of the area, wiping out Chris Barnett in the process. It was tough, but a fair tackle.
With the match needing a little inspiration, some local children turned up and started jumping and chanting “Yorkshire” by the pitch side. The York players must’ve felt the pressure to impress, and opened the scoring from a Mark McLeod free-kick – Dan Atherton got the final touch.
York began to take more initiative. Brennan jinked past a couple of Lancaster players and back-heeled for Dan Atherton, who rattled the crossbar.
Their hopes of putting the game to rest were dented when Lancaster were awarded a penalty. Josh Baines brought down Dan Hall in the area, it appeared, after he had won the ball. The referee thought otherwise and up stepped Keir Hannity, who hit the ball hard to Tim Green’s left. Miraculously, Green got a hand to it, and the ball was eventually cleared.
Green was forcing into action again. Not by football, but by a Lancaster streaker, who tried to down a bottle of wine in the six-yard box. Green forcibly escorted him from the pitch.
That set up a strange finish, in which Tom Clarke was allowed a completely uncontested run on goal, but could not beat John Moran. Brennan was presented an even better chance to beat Moran, from the spot, after Clarke was taken down. With a chance to kill the game off for good, Brennan stepped up, and blazed his penalty way over the bar.
However, York held on to win 1-0.
Brennan said “I’m delighted, can’t ask for any more than a clean sheet and a win over your local rivals”, adding the penalty was “the worst one I’ve ever taken”.