Darlington 2 York City 1: Minstermen pay heavy price for failing to recruit quality striker

York should have had the match won by half-time after being by far the better side, but they could not turn their fine approach work into goals in one of the best 45 minutes they have played this season.

They once again paid for woeful finishing as Darlington scored two goals in three minutes to gain an unlikely lead and although York pulled one back in the 87th minute it was too late to make any difference.

York’s goals total of 54 in 44 matches is by far the worst of the leading 16 teams and it is a problem which has, barring a series of unlikely closing results this week, cost them a place in the top five.

Without their three most consistent players this season, David McGurk (ankle), Danny Parslow (69 stitches in a head wound suffered against Luton last Tuesday) and Chris Smith (attending the birth of his son), York’s much-changed team still contrived to fashion chance after chance and could have been 3-0 up at the break.

Neil Barrett headed over from point-blank range and had another header tipped over, Leon Constantine missed a gift opportunity and Jamie Reed’s shot was deflected for a corner.

Darlington took a 54th-minute lead through Tommy Wright’s header. Ian Miller (56) rocketed home a left-foot volley before Chris Carruthers narrowed the gap following a corner from Ashley Chambers.

York manager Gary Mills said: “I am gutted. We would have won comfortably if we had taken our chances. We are a good side in this division but we need someone to score goals.”

Darlington: Russell; Amison, Miller, Taylor, Brown; Moore, Terry (Verma, 75), Bridge-Wilkinson, Chandler; Hatch (Gray, 88), Wright (M Smith, 78). Unused substitutes: St Louis-Hamilton, Campbell.

York City: Ingham; Darville, Meredith, Fyfield, Carruthers; J Smith (Till, 61), Barrett (Mackin, 78); Chambers, Constantine (Rankine, 61), Reed. Unused substitutes: Young, Hatfteld.

Referee: P Hodskinson (Preston).

Man of the match: Jamal Fyfield.