Gary Mills out to upset odds as York City head for final furlong

IN Cheltenham Festival week, lasting the course and possessing the qualities of a stayer has its merits – just ask Gary Mills.

Things did not look so good for the York City manager on Tuesday afternoon, less so at 8.30pm in the evening – but the run for home in the final few furlongs was infinitely more pleasing.

Mills, whose bets went south earlier in the day, then saw matters compounded by the sight of his side not being at the races in a one-sided first half which saw the Minstermen fortunate to trail just 1-0 at the interval of their FA Trophy first-leg semi-final with Lincoln City at Bootham Crescent.

Thankfully, York’s response was resounding, with substitutes Aidan Connolly and Adriano Moke making a key impact to give Mills’s side a 2-1 advantage heading into Saturday’s second instalment at Sincil Bank – as the Minstermen eye a Wembley date alongside securing National League safety.

The win was all the more praiseworthy, given that Mills’s options were seriously diminished with weekend hero Yan Klukoswki missing out with a calf strain and Asa Hall and Dan Parslow laid low by a bug.

It showcased a side displaying strength in adversity and York will require bundles more of that in order to complete their primary mission of retaining their league status.

Mills, whose spirited side have lost just once in their past 13 outings, said: “I had a little bet on Cheltenham and lost some money and I was thinking: ‘They have all gone down with a bit of a bug and I have lost at Cheltenham..’

“While I was watching the horses, I was thinking: ‘Am I going to do this or that?’ I had to bring new young players onto the bench along with a (young) goalkeeper.

“Since I have put this small squad together, we have had problems one way or another – and to come through it like we have; all credit to them. I said on Saturday, these lads will fight to the very end for everything.

“Nobody would have had a bet on us at half-time to be winning and going to their place ahead in the second leg.”

A return to ‘the good old days’ was Mills’s take on the Minstermen’s pugnacious efforts, more especially in the second half against Danny Cowley’s venetated Imps and it augurs well for some momentous battles ahead on the league front.

York won their individual duels and got in their opponents’ faces with their determined efforts backed raucously by home supporters in what they hope will be a sign of things to come for the remainder of the run-in.

Mills, whose Minstermen side face another massive Bootham Crescent occasion at home to Southport next Tuesday evening, added: “That is what it was like when I was here before. But you have to create that (atmosphere).

“It was like the good old days with the atmosphere. It was probably not pretty football, but certainly heart and desire within a team that want to win every game now, whether it is the trophy or the league.

“When I was here before, we had a team who played good football on the deck with passing and all that. But we also had a big heart and desire to win games.

“I sat and watched Brighton beat Derby last week and their pure work-rate was just incredible.

“Work-rate, heart and desire can win you football matches and it has got to win us a lot more if we are to be sitting here and celebrating enough points needed to stay up.”