York City 0 Oldham Athletic 3: Latics enjoy a second Yorkshire feast inside a week to break White Rose hearts again
EARLIER this month, a Yorkshire side who finished 22 points above their designated play-off opponent in the regular season wiped the floor with them in the most one-sided of ties.
York City’s more optimistic followers might well have been fancying a bit of that ahead of tackling a rival who trailed them by an even bigger margin - 23 points - in the league campaign in Oldham Athletic, but those with shrewd heads were also entitled to be rather more wary.
And so it emphatically proved. Here, the reverse happened.
For the uninitiated, the form book went to type in the Championship semi-finals where Sheffield United brushed aside Bristol City with contemptuous ease by a handsome aggregate of 6-0 as they headed to Wembley with more than a hint of swagger.
Here, Oldham made a mockery of the league table and gorged on White Rose blood after dining out at FC Halifax Town’s expense previously at Boundary Park in an earlier eliminator play-off.
With serious momentum, they will be difficult to stop at Wembley.
Latics deserved their victory, no doubt, but it was undeniably hard on York after their outstanding haul of 96 points over 46 games - a season which saw them finish second, but lament the fact that one team is promoted automatically from the National League.
Back in March, ludicrous, madness and ‘crazy were three words manager Adam Hinshelwood used to describe the current situation which allows just one team to be automatically promoted from the National League to the English Football League at the end of the season.
The arguments will continue to rage regarding the National League’s ‘3UP campaign to allocate an additional automatic promotion position to enter the league at the expense of an additional relegation spot from League Two.
But it was important to recognise this was Oldham’s night. After a scintillating display against the Shaymen, they had too much for York, who were not as well conditioned, psychologically, as their rivals.
Their previous competitive game was some 15 days earlier and they looked rusty.
An intense atmosphere, red and blue covering three-quarters of the stadium and blue and tangerine at the other once again showed there is life and a strong and fervent football culture outside of the EFL.
Pumped-up York started off briskly enough, but Oldham regrouped and started to piece together a pretty presentable half of away football - looking threatening from set-plays and with a big outlet in Mike Fondop.
An awful howler midway through the half emboldened them further.
Harrison Male rolled the ball out to Alex Hunt in a tight looking spot and it looked hazardous.
Barnsley loanee Vimal Yoganathan was wise to it and quick in the press. He raced out and challenged the unsuspecting Hunt.
A wily old fox in Joe Garner was also alive. After picking up the loose ball, he drilled it past Male and punished York for their casual play.
In a fixture which looked to be hard to call beforehand, it looked a key development.
York, who struggled to get 31-goal forward Ollie Pearce, declared fit, into the game, hinted at things on occasions, but needed more cuteness and sharpness to unhinge a well-organised Oldham backline who were also happy to field the aerial stuff.
York’s rearguard, by contrast, did not look so convincing.
A scare came before the goal when Reagan Ogle’s long throw was flicked on by Garner. Mark Kitching arrived at the back stick and his header was cleared off the line by Tyrece Sinclair.
Joe Pritchard tested Male, but soon after, he was egg-faced and forced to pick the ball out of the net.
Home punters did their best to instigate a home response, but City survived a scare when Fondop’s venomous half-volley was tipped over at his near post by Male.
On the resumption, York needed to give their support some red meat. Instead, they were chewing over another season in the National League after conceding twice in a couple of minutes early in the second half.
A second arrived from the impressive Yoganathan, having a fine play-off campaign after excelling against the Shaymen six nights earlier.
Super hold-up play from Fondop teed him up and he drilled home nicely.
Soon after, the Minstermen needed a miracle when Garner’s cross was deflected in by Pritchard - the cue to a pitch invasion from some excited Latics fans as York’s dream died.
York City: Male; Sinclair (Luamba 60), Fagan-Walcott, Howe, John; Hunt (Batty 76); Felix; Richardson (Armstrong 60), Nathaniel-George (John-Lewis 82), Akinyemi (Stones 60); Pearce. Substitutes unused: Watson, Chadwick.
Oldham Athletic: Hudson; Ogle, Monthe, Raglan, Kitching; Pritchard, Evans (Rossiter 85), Pett, Yoganathan (Conlon 77); Garner (Norwood 80), Fondop. Substitutes unused: Lundstram, Uchebulam, Sutton, Donaghy.
Referee: Zac Kennard-Kettle.
Attendance: 8,153.