York City 1 Barnet 2: Minstermen sliding down table but Mills sticks to his plans

York have won only four of their 17 games at Bootham Crescent and have now gone eight matches without a victory, picking up only four points in the process.

This dismal run has seen the Minstermen slide from ninth, within reach of the play-offs, to 17th and just seven points above the dreaded dotted line.

Despite this, manager Gary Mills will not change from his favoured 4-3-3 formation.

When it was put to him that he might consider playing new loan striker signing Michael Rankine alongside Jason Walker in a 4-4-2 set-up, he was quick to dismiss the idea.

“We completed the double last season using 4-3-3, which I much prefer. We are where we are today because of the simple fact we are giving away too many sloppy goals as we did against Barnet, and not taking our scoring chances.

“We had a throw-in just in front of my dugout and Barnet had only one player in our half. We had three defenders but their player scored the winner – unbelievable.”

Mills has not been helped by a glut of injuries, not having a settled back four since before Christmas, right-back Jon Challinor (broken fibula) being the latest victim.

However, several players have performed below par, Matty Blair, a prolific scorer last season, last scoring on January 1.

A headed own goal by David Stephens gave York an early lead from John McGrath’s free-kick only for Andy Yiadom to equalise midway through the half from John Oster’s free-kick. Jake Hyde’s 73rd-minute winner came despite three defenders being around him.

York City: Ingham; Parslow, Smith, O’Connell, Fyfield; McGrath, Kerr (Everson 79), Obeng; Blair, Rankine (Walker 69), Chambers (Rodman 56). Unused substitutes: Musselwhite, Potts, McLaughlin, Allan.

Barnet: Stack; Fuller, Stephens, N’Toko (N’gala 80), Brown (Johnson 46); Yiadom, Oster, Davids, Byrne, Nurse; Beattie (Hyde 66). Unused substitutes: Kamdjo, Weston, Barnes, Lopez.

Referee: D Coote (Newark)

Man of the match: Jack O’Connell.