York City 1 Woking 0: Ollie Pearce keeps his cool to make dominance count

When Pearce smashed his 74th-minute penalty into the net it looked like a week which began with York losing at relegation-threatened Gateshead might end with them top of the Conference. A Rochdale comeback from 1-0 down to beat Sutton United put paid to that.

The race to win automatic promotion back to the Football League is not just a high-quality one, but lycra tight too. With five matches to play, both sides, who meet at Spotland on the final game of the season, have their fate in their own hands.

In difficult conditions with a stiff wind and a low sun, York worked hard and played well, bar the most important bit - putting the ball in the net.

But when Pearce was given his chance with a late penalty, the York captain finally made his side's superiority count.

Ollie Banks played some lovely passes in midfield and the Minstermen were regularly able to get Pearce and strike partner Josh Stones, with 48 goals between them before kick-off in behind, but finding the net was more difficult.

Banks put an excellent ball in after seven minutes but a diving Stones was unable to make contact, then Morgan Williams found Pearce, only for Stones to head the cross goalkeeper Will Jaaskelainen, son of former Bolton Wanderers keeper Jussi.

The three linked again in the 17th minute, but Stones was unable to lift the ball over Jaaskelainen.

Jeff King head an excellent chance wide midway through the first half after Banks forced a save and Stones' header kept the ball alive.

Pearce dinked a shot wide in the 34th minute after waiting for a Banks ball which held up in the wind.

Hiram Boateng curled a shot straight at the goalkeeper after York kept his disappointing corner straight to the first man alive.

Alex Hunt ballooned a shot over and when he had another blocked, Boateng's effort from the rebound was saved. Stones failed to get hold of a shot in the last of seven minutes added to the half.

Woking, still under interim contro after sacking former York manager Neal Ardley earlier this month had their moments, but they were fleeting - former Bradford City and Harrogate Town forward Ollie Sanderson seeing one shot blocked by Williams and poking another wide. Timmy Akinola opened his body up and sent a shot well over.

With Woking hunkering down with the wind in their faces for the second half, York hard it hard going.

When Hunt had a shot blocked at a 66th-minute corner, Banks was unable to make clean contact with the rebound.

But it was the midfielder who unsurprisingly set York on their way to an opener. With midfielders Dan Batty and Joe Grey stripped and ready to come on, Batty played a ball down the line for Malachi Fagan-Walcott. He found wing-back Jeff King, who was fouled.

Pearce kept his nerve from the penalty spot to hammer his 33rd goal of the campaign. As he did, Sutton United took the lead at home to Rochdale.

Batty shot just wide after Zak Johnson won the ball deep and weaved past a couple of players, then released Stones to beat Matt Ward and tee the chance up.

Stones fired just wide in the 90th minute after pouncing on a poor Tunji Akinola header and a York corner in stoppage-time hit Fagan-Walcott and ricocheted just wide but it felt like a 1-0 kind of a day and with a goal difference way ahead of Dale's, 1-0s will do nicely for the Minstermen.

York City: Male; Williams (Fallowfield HT), Johnson, Fagan-Walcott; King, Banks (Grey 78), Hunt (Batty 75), Boateng, Brookes; Stones, Pearce (Newby 90).

Unused substitutes: Howe, Olley, Sykes-Kenworthy.

Woking: Jaaskelainen; Drewe, Okoli, Tunji Akinola, Richards; Hinds (Forster-Caskey 44); Gbode, Timmy Akinola (Gorman 83), Andrews (Beautyman 78), Pennant (Ward HT); Sanderson (Taylor 78).

Unused substitutes: Ross, Turner.

Referee: P Marsden.