Five things we learned from Yorkshire football at the weekend

We may be in the midst of an international break, but Yorkshire clubs in League One, League Two and the National League were busy trying to gain points at the weekend.
Nigel Adkins, manager of Sheffield Utd, whose side were held to a 2-2 draw by SouthendNigel Adkins, manager of Sheffield Utd, whose side were held to a 2-2 draw by Southend
Nigel Adkins, manager of Sheffield Utd, whose side were held to a 2-2 draw by Southend

It was not a great week for the county, with losses for certain teams making already perilous situations look increasingly worse.

Here are the five things we learned from Yorkshire football this weekend:

1. New manager bounce not working out at York City…

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It’s often said that bringing in a new manager lifts a club, but York have struggled since the appointment of Jackie McNamara.

That is not to say that it is the Scot’s fault - the Minstermen were already running on low prior to his arrival.

Saturday’s 2-1 loss against Plymouth made it three losses out of three for McNamara, part of a run of five defeats on the spin.

It seems clear that there will be no magic wand to fix the situation at Bootham Crescent.

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City need results and fast, but may need to start thinking about January and what they might do to move away from the bottom of the Football League.

2. ...but Ferguson having an impact at Doncaster

Another new manager in Yorkshire is having a clear impact, with Darren Ferguson having put together a run of three wins from his last three games.

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Blackpool 0 Doncaster Rovers 2: Ferguson delighted as Rovers continue run

Doncaster Rovers beat Blackpool 2-0 on Saturday to climb to 16th in League One, away from the relegation zone.

Ferguson has had longer at the helm than McNamara, but his turnaround speaks for the fact that Rovers have a squad available to them that is probably better than relegation from the third tier.

3. Barnsley are deep in a relegation battl

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Yes, Lee Johnson’s side played much better on Saturday, but they lost once again, falling to a 2-1 defeat against Port Vale at home.

That makes it eight defeats on the spin in League One, form that suggests relegation is not only a possibility, but looks increasingly like a certainty. They need to turn it around, and fast.

Good news for Johnson: he’s going back to former club Oldham this weekend.

Bad news for Johnson: Oldham are 18th in League One, five places above the Tykes, and they will certainly not be about to lie down for their old manager.

4. Halifax Town are also in trouble.

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Halifax Town have now conceded 53 goals in the National League this season, a staggering total considering the next nearest team is Torquay, who have let in 42.

A 6-3 defeat against Braintree Town at the weekend did not help. The Shaymen did repeatedly fight back, but the damage was done early on, Halifax 4-1 down by the 30th minute of the game.

Clearly Town have to do something about their recent form, or relegation beckons - there is little doubt about that.

More worryingly, the gap between them and safety is increasing. They are now 10 points behind Boreham Wood in 20th.

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5. Sheffield United have shown no suggestion they can be promoted

The talk at Sheffield United this season has been automatic promotion, automatic promotion and automatic promotion.

As it stands, they would be lucky to get into the play-offs. That is not to say the gap is huge - they are only two points behind Bury in sixth - but they have shown no consistency whatsoever this season.

They have also shown an inability to pick up wins, when it would be expected of them: Southend may be 11th in League One, but the visit of a mid-table side is the sort of game promotion winners would expect to win.

A 2-2 draw is nowhere near good enough.