Town 1 York City 0
Town: Jayson Leutwiler, Jermaine Grandison, Mickey Demetriou, Ryan Woods, Connor Goldson (c), James Collins, Anthony Griffith, Andy Mangan (Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro 26), Nathaniel Knight-Percival, Bobby Grant (Jordan Clark 60), Jack Grimmer
Subs: Mark Ellis, Ashley Vincent, Scott Vernon, James Caton, Mark Halstead
York City: Michael Ingham, Marvin McCoy, Femi Ilesanmi, John McCombe, Michael Coulston, Ryan Jarvis, Lewis Montrose, Keith Lowe (c),Tom Platt, Diego De Girolamo (Lindon, Meikle 60). Ryan Brunt
Subs: Jason Mooney, Luke Summerfield, Anthony Straker, Ben Hirst, Cameron Murray, Jake Hyde
Ref: Michael Bull
Attendance: 3651 (671)
Micky Mellon makes changes to the side that beat Cheltenham last week and hands Town débuts to Bobby Grant and Jack Grimmer. Liam Lawrence is missing through injury and James Wesolowski is suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card last week.
Town created their best early chance on 6 minute when the ball was sent in early and this caused the York defence a number of problems, it seemed to come off the hand of Ilesanmi but nothing was give, Mangan kept going through and scooped in a shot but Ingham was in the right place to save.
Minutes later Town were again on the attack with Mangan causing more problems down the right, he cut in behind the defence and drove in a low shot but again Ingham was down quickly to save.
The best early chances were falling to Town but York looked dangerous on the break, especially down their left with Ilesanmi who had the pace to cause problems and get good crosses in.
It was Town who were creating the better of the chances and first they broke after a York attack broke down, it was Demetriou who came out with the ball and broke down field, he had Mangan and Collins with him but Mangan has strayed into an offside position, the pass was to Collins who then fired in a 30 yard drive that Ingham did well to save. Moments later Town were again on the attack with Mangan and Collins looking dangerous, Collins had a shot that Ingham parried and there was Mangan to slot home but the linesman was already flagging for an offside.
On 26 minutes Town were forced into their first substitution with Andy Mangan being replaced with Jean-Louis Akpa Akpro. Mangan had been over to the bench a couple of times to chat about a possible problem and it looks like an early decision was made.
Jayson Leutwiler had been the quieter of the keepers but as the half wore on he was called into action a little more. First he was brave to dive through a crowded penalty box to collect the ball and then later on when a long range York effort was fired in he was down quickly with a save to parry the ball away from danger.
Half-time: 0-0
It was a bright opening couple of minutes with Town creating a couple of good openings while at the other end Leutwiler had to be at his best to get down and save at full stretch from after a York free-kick was lifted over the wall.
Town were still creating chances and when Bobby Grant picked the ball up on the edge of the box he showed good determination and skills to skip through the York defence, his touch though left him at the vital moment and the chance was gone.
York were reduced to 10 men on 63 minutes when the ball dropped just inside the Town half, Knight-Percival had things under control but Ryan Jarvis them appeared to go in late and over the top and ref Bull had no hesitation to produce a straight red.
York's goal was leading a charmed life at times and when a Town corner was met at the back post the header was goal bound until Ingham pulled off a great reaction save, the rebound came back out and another Town shot was smashed in but it hit the back of a York player on the line.
Town were pretty much camped in the York half but clear cut chances were proving hard to find. Town were getting in good shots and testing Ingham's goal but it was proving a tough test for the visitors to breach the York goal.
With just over 15 minutes of the game remaining Micky Mellon made his last change of the afternoon brining on Scott Vernon to replace Anthony Griffith. Vernon added another option upfront and within minutes of coming on he had a shot fly just wide of the goal after a Akpa Akpro chest down and then neat work from Clark saw Vernon in space to curl a low shot in but again Ingham was in the right place.
The one time Ingham made a mistake Town still couldn't capitalise, it came after James Collins drove in a long range effort that Ingham got down to but he misjudged it and spilled it but luckily for the keeper Ilesanmi was there to clear.
Town finally got the goal their pressure deserved and it came after Grimmer was taken out on the edge of the York box. Demetriou fired in a strong low free-kick that was blocked, it came out to Clark who fired in a vicious low drive and there was James Collins with a vital flick past Ingham to make it 1-0 to Town.
Full-time: 1-0