York 1 Mansfield 2: Worthington encouraged by York display in defeat

The Minstermen were the better side during an improved first-half showing at Bootham Crescent with on-loan Middlesbrough winger Ryan Brobbel putting them in front less than a minute into his full League debut.

Brobbel converted after York’s top scorer Ryan Jarvis had hit a post following good work by Lanre Oyebanjo and Wes Fletcher.

Mansfield levelled against the run of play, however, on 21 minutes with Sam Clucas netting from the penalty spot after Oyebanjo had tripped James Jennings.

The Stags then went on to condemn York to a seventh game without a win when substitute Ollie Palmer stuck out a boot to divert a low shot from Clucas past Michael Ingham on 76 minutes.

Three minutes later, the Minstermen suffered another blow when substitute Richard Cresswell, making his first appearance since August following an eye problem, was sent off for an off-the-ball tussle with Mansfield’s Martin Riley, who also saw red.

Only Accrington Stanley are now preventing York from propping up the whole of the Football League but an encouraged Worthington said: “Unlike last weekend, there were a lot of good things out there.

“Apart from the result, I couldn’t fault the players in any department. The commitment, the effort and the quality, at times, was very good.

“They’re trying to do what we’re asking them to so, hopefully, with more of the same next week, we will try and change the result.

“We’ve just got to keep plugging away, keep believing and trying to win.”

York City: Ingham; Oyebanjo, McGurk, Parslow, Davies; Montrose, Brobbel (Taft, 82), Whitehouse; Puri (Carson 62), Fletcher (Cresswell 75), Jarvis. Unused substitutes: Kettings, Smith, Chambers, Platt.

Mansfield Town: Marriott; Dempster, Riley, Sutton; Beevers, Clements (Howell 43), Hutchinson (Meikle, 46), McGuire, Jennings (Palmer, 46); Clucas, Andrew. Unused substitutes: Stevenson, Speight, Daniel, Mitchell.

Referee: J Simpson (Lancashire).