Minstermen start brightly
FRUSTRATING, exciting and inconsistent: York City’s start to the 2006/2007 Nationwide Conference season can be said to have encompassed all four of these adjectives for the club’s fans, many of whom are still incredulous that their side is competing one rung below that of the Football League.
But in York City’s quest to regain their League status, a feeling of deja-vu lingers. An opening day goalless draw, this time against Exeter City, mirrored the start to last season and a subsequent run of four consecutive victories this campaign was halted only by a disappointing goalless draw at home to relegation favourites Stafford Rangers. Again this year Billy McEwan’s side have threatened to challenge the League leaders, this time Oxford United, only to fall back into the familiar challenge for the play-offs.
Indeed it appears that any promotion for City will have to be through the play-offs as Oxford United have sprinted away with an eight point lead at the top of the Conference. With veteran manager Jim Smith, and facilities and a stadium to match many Championship sides, with attendances in excess of 6,000, it seems to be a case of when, rather than if, Oxford United regain their League status as Conference champions.
But even if City boss Billy McEwan cannot claim to match the resources of the League leaders, the Scot has significantly strengthened his squad over the summer. Talented 29 year old goalkeeper Tom Evans arrived from Scunthorpe to replace the erratic Chris Porter, and this signing has proved to be a real success. Evans has firmly established himself as a favourite with the York City faithful, although his sending off during the early stages of a surprising 3-0 away defeat at Crawley can be seen as the beginning of the current stuttering nature of the club’s form. Further signings such as Steve Bowey and Martyn Woolford have added to a squad that McEwan himself has admitted was short on quality last season.
However the main playing attraction at Kit-Kat Crescent is once again the sight of Clayton Donaldson. City’s gangly striker had by September’s end chipped in with six League goals and his pace will no doubt continue to trouble defences. Shorn of last season’s top scorer Andy Bishop though, whose brace for new club Bury against Sunderland in the Carling Cup hastened Niall Quinn’s decision to sack himself, City have on occasions appeared a little one dimensional. This hasn’t been aided by new signing Craig Farrell’s sluggish adjustment to his new surroundings, although McEwan will hope that Farrell’s first goal for the club in the 2-2 draw with Southport will kick-start the striker’s form.
October should provide the Minstermen with more opportunities to push on further. Away trips to Northwich Victoria, St Albans City and Tamworth should be expected to yield maximum points, whilst the visits of Aldershot and Cambridge United are two fixtures of the sort that City will be looking to be winning consistently if they are to improve on last season’s eighth place finish.
The familiar story of a York City side confidently striding a few paces forward only to be pegged back by the unexpected dropping of points has continued this year. However, the steady improvement of the side under McEwan is another recurring theme and City fans can wait in expectation rather than hope for a play-off place by the time this Conference season draws to a close.
Nationwide Conference Current standings
01. Oxford Utd 14 36
02. Dag & Red 14 30
03. Weymouth 14 27
04. York City 14 27
05. Burton A 14 25
06. Exeter 14 24
07. Gravesend 14 24
08. Aldershot 14 22
