York City 0 Hartlepool United 0: Worthington fuming over York’s profligacy

YORK City boss Nigel Worthington has told his players they must “bust a gut” to end the team’s three-game goal drought.
Lanre OyebanjoLanre Oyebanjo
Lanre Oyebanjo

The Minstermen failed to manage a single shot on target during a dire contest with struggling Hartlepool and only mustered three goal attempts of any description.

Worthington was particularly perplexed by his towering team’s lack of threat from set-pieces.

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On that matter, the City chief said: “We’ve got five or six bodies who need to be busting a gut to get on the end of the deliveries.

“The ball won’t just land on your head – you have to go and find it.”

In an appalling first period, York’s best chance of opening the scoring came when a long free-kick from goalkeeper Michael Ingham skidded off Pools defender Jack Baldwin’s head.

With visiting keeper Scott Flinders stranded, however, right-back Neil Austin came to his side’s rescue by clearing off the line.

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At the other end, James Poole shot across the face of the goal from a narrow angle with only Ingham to beat.

After the interval, Craig Clay, Lanre Oyebanjo and Ryan Jarvis all tried their luck with weak strikes from distance for the hosts.

It was former Sheffield Wednesday loan striker Steve Howard, though, who came closest to winning maximum points.

Howard rose high to meet Jack Compton’s left-wing cross at the far post but his header was cleared off the line by York captain Chris Smith.

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Worthington added: “There’s a lot of commitment, a lot of effort and a lot of good things happening. I think we just need a little more composure around the opposition’s 18-yard box.”

York: Ingham; Oyebanjo, Smith, Allan, Davies; Parslow, Clay, Platt; Jarvis (Bowman, 86), Cresswell (Fletcher, 66), Chambers (Coulson, 62). Unused substitutes: Kettings, Montrose, Fyfield, Atkinson.

Hartlepool United: Flinders, Austin, Baldwin, Burgess , Holden, Monkhouse, Walton, Walker, Compton, Poole (James, 77), Howard (Rodney, 84). Unused substitutes: Collins, Franks, Rafferty, Richards, Boagey.

York man of the match: Lanre Oyebanjo.

Referee: D Phillips (Chichester).