Exeter City 2 York City 1: We must retain belief, urges Worthington

Exeter substitute Alan Gow wiped out Ryan Jarvis’s opening goal for the Minstermen with an impressive brace.

It left the Minstermen still waiting for their first victory since a 1-0 opening-day triumph over fellow strugglers Northampton, but manager Nigel Worthington does not want his team to be downhearted.

He said: “The players have got to keep believing and we have got to keep their heads up.

“We have all got to remember where the club has come from in the last 12 or 15 months and adjusting takes time but, as long as the players stay honest and give their all, I can’t have any arguments with them.”

York, who are embarking on their second season back in the Football League following their promotion from the Conference in 2012, forged in front at 
St James Park on 18 minutes when Jarvis grabbed his fourth goal of the season.

The former Torquay forward pounced from eight yards after ex-York loan goalkeeper Artur Kyrsiak had kept out Craig Clay’s shot following positive wing play by Ashley Chambers.

But Exeter were level five minutes later when Gow, on as a first-half substitute for the injured John O’Flynn, raced on to Arron Davies’s through ball and blasted past the exposed Michael Ingham with his first touch of the afternoon.

Gow went on to secure a third consecutive home win for the Grecians when he blasted a terrific 25-yard strike past Ingham in the 72nd minute.

York might still have snatched a draw but former Barnsley and Scarborough striker Michael Coulson could only direct his close-range shot straight at Krysiak following Lanre Oyebanjo’s long throw into the penalty area.

Exeter City: Krysiak; Moore-Taylor (Bennett, 46), Coles, Baldwin, Woodman, Wheeler (Sercombe, 63), Oakley, Grimes, Davies, Parkin, O’Flynn (Gow, 22). Unused substitutes: Pym, Doherty, Reid, Gosling.

York City: Ingham; Oyebanjo, Smith, Taft, Davies; Montrose (Chamberlain, 82), Clay, Platt; Coulson (Fyfield, 89), Jarvis, Chambers (Brobbel, 74). Unused substitutes: Kettings, Parslow, Allan, Dickinson.

York man of the match: Ryan Jarvis.