Time to see what we are made of, says Mills after unlucky defeat

The teams played a goalless draw at Fleetwood in August and it was soon clear that the teams are so well-matched that one goal would probably prove decisive.

So it proved with Richard Brodie, the former York striker, scoring a 73rd-minute winner with a cracking low cross-shot – the sixth time this season that a former York player had scored a crucial goal against the Minstermen.

The win took Fleetwood to 101 points and they are set to break the all-time English record of 106, set up by Reading when they won the Championship in 2005.

York were unfortunate not to get at least a point from a very good contest.

James Meredith had a header cleared off the line by Lee Fowler three minutes after Fleetwood had gone ahead, and Matt Blinkhorn headed against the inside of Scott Davies’s right-hand post, the ball rebounding into the goalkeeper’s arms following Lanre Oyebanjo’s cross three minutes from time.

Fleetwood had looked the better side in the first half without creating any chances, Matty Blair missing one for York after running clear.

York were on top after the break and had more shots on and off target but lacked that cutting edge, a familiar tale recently with Jamie Reed the only striker to score from open play in the last nine league matches.

Manager Gary Mills said ahead of today’s trip to Alfreton: “It is still in our hands to finish in the top five. We have lost our last two games, so now we have to see what we are made of in the last five.”

York City: Ingham; Oyebanjo, Parslow, Doig, Gibson; Bopp (Moke 44), McLaughlin, Meredith; Blair, Tonne (Blinkhorn 76), Reed (Chambers 65). Unused substitutes: Fyfield, Brown.

Fleetwood Town: Davies; Beeley, McNulty, Pond, Goodall; McGuire, Fowler, Cavanagh (Viera 19, Seddon 85); Till (Brodie 51), Vardy, Mangan. Unused substitutes: Charnock, Stephenson.

Referee: S Duncan (Newcastle).

Man of the match: Chris Doig.