York City 5 Wimbledon 0: Brodie takes York closer to play-offs

York City virtually made certain of a promotion play-off place as they hammered AFC Wimbledon, Richard Brodie scoring a hat-trick as he took his total to 31 goals for the season.

Only Crawley can possibly overtake the Minstermen and they would have to win their last five games and York would have to lose their last four.

Crawley would need to make up a goal difference of 27, mathematically possible but highly unlikely.

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Before the game the crowd gave one-minute applause in memory of Sid Storey, an inside-left in the York team which reached the FA Cup semi-final in 1955, who died aged 90 yesterday.

York made three changes following the 2-1 win over Altrincham on Monday, recalling Alex Lawless, Michael Rankine and Levi Mackin in place of Courtney Pitt, Paul Harsley and Michael Gash.

York took the lead with the game only 33 seconds old when Rankine brushed off Paul Lorraine before hammering a cross-shot just inside James Pullen's right-hand post.

The home side went further ahead after 15 minutes, Rankine heading the ball on for Brodie who was brought down by Ben Judge.

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It was a clear penalty and Brodie cracked in the spot-kick just inside Pullen's right-hand post.

Nathan Elder headed inches wide for Wimbledon and Luke Moore was also close to scoring before York made it 3-0 after 22 minutes when Brodie raced through to beat Lorraine before side-footing into an empty net.

Brodie was a whisker away from completing his hat-trick after 28 minutes before doing so six minutes later, again from the penalty spot after he was tripped by Lorraine.

Just before the interval Michael Ingham made a great save to deny Glenn Poole.

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York resumed where they had left off, battering the visitors' defence with Lawless, Rankine, James Meredith and Brodie all going close before Rankine completed the scoring after 70 minutes following a fine move between Lawless and Chris Carruthers.

York City: Ingham; Purkiss, McGurk, Graham, Meredith; Lawless (Smith 82), Barrett (Harsley 75), Mackin, Carruthers; Rankine, Brodie (Gash 75). Unused Substitutes: Parslow, Pitt.

AFC Wimbledon: Pullen; Conroy, Judge, Lorraine (Johnson 46), Blanchett; Poole, Gregory (Duncan 75), Adjei, Wellard; Moore, Elder (Hatton 71). Unused Substitutes: Brown.

Referee: M Naylor (Sheffield).