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Photos: Oliver Todd
York’s 1st team were narrowly beaten by Leeds Met 2nds on 22 Acres when on another day they might have had some better luck.
Leeds Met were fastest out of the blocks as they scored after just four minutes through James Williams. The ball was pulled back from the by-line by Leaver to Williams whose fierce strike was parried well by Bradley. But the rebound fell kindly to the midfielder whose second bite at the cherry was a lower shot which rolled into the bottom corner.
Bradley was again called into action seven minutes later, superbly turning Ruppery’s shot around the near post with one hand, after Cartman flicked on a cross to him.
York’s midfield was finding it difficult to get their passing game going as Leeds were dominating possession and playing long balls, so the best chances came from the pace of York’s wingers.
On one occasion, Dan Atherton tricked his way past the right-back before crossing and causing a goalmouth scramble. A deflected shot onto the arm of a Leeds Met player was unfortunate not to yield a penalty kick as the ball was goal-bound.
Leeds’ Cartman then had a one-on-one chance against Bradley after a long ball picked him out, but he shot wildly over the crossbar to the relief of the York players.
James Davies had a terrific opportunity to equalise after 20 minutes, receiving the ball in the box and hammering a low shot at goal, only for a desperate lunge from Ward to deflect the shot agonisingly wide of the near post, with O’Reagan beaten.
York were playing the better football by the end of the half and had another chance when Ollie Harrison whipped in a fantastic cross, dissecting the defensive line and the goalkeeper. Unfortunately, none of the three York players in the six yard box could stretch far enough to divert the ball in.
Leeds must have had a rousing half-time team talk because they started the second half very aggressively. Cartman wasted two golden chances inside just as many minutes and Bradley was forced to tip over a Ruppery piledriver.
York’s best opportunity to draw level ironically came during this storm. A long Bradley clearance was flicked on by Clarke to Jones who, on the right side of the penalty area struck a crisp shot which clipped the far post and trickled behind for a goal kick.
The sucker-punch second goal for Leeds came five minutes later. A clever one-two between Leaver and Cartman created space for Hicks whose shot squirmed through the gloves of Bradley and into the net.
Substitutes Luke Parker and Ash Daly then came on in a tactical switch as York went for all-out attack. The move almost paid dividends as Davies whipped in a cross from the right which was headed back across goal by Parker to Leaver, but the striker couldn’t make contact with his shot.
York finally got what their play deserved with a goal in the 90th minute. Matt Mawdesley played an accurate through-ball for Clarke to chase and the midfield maestro hit a wonderful effort into the far corner past a helpless O’Reagan.
Unfortunately, York ran out of time in their quest for an equaliser but after the game, captain Dan Turley reminded his team of the need for concentration: ‘We conceded two sloppy goals and the second one killed our momentum; sometimes those moments cost you. I think a draw was probably a fair result on the balance of play. But we’ll be going into the second term a stronger team.’