The Tigers played-out their second consecutive goalless draw today in this eagerly awaited clash at Bootham Crescent. The attendance of five and a half thousand, boosted by over 2,500 travelling Tigers fans, provided York with their biggest crowd of the season. The match was played in atrocious conditions and neither side could stamp their authority on the game. The first half provided chances for both teams to take the lead, Alex Mathie had York’s best chance of the half when one-on-one with Musselwhite, but the Tigers keeper stood up well and blocked the shot. Marcelle had a shot from the edge of the area but the ball was impressively tipped over for a corner by ex-Tiger Alan Fettis in the York goal. The conditions got progressively worse in the second half and the Tigers were pushed back for long periods.

The Mincermen had the majority of the possession but failed to create any clear-cut scoring chances. City did have a good chance with a Clint Marcelle diving header but he slipped and only managed to connect with his shoulder. As it was, neither team really deserved the three points and the game ended in draw. The result does however see us move up into the top half of the table again, occupying 12th place and four points off the play-off places. York move up a place to 20th.

City failed to see off the Gorilla Killers despite dominating this drab game from start to finish. Unlike the last time these sides met, when Hartlepool won 3-0 at the Ark to clinch a play-off spot, the simian slaying visitors made no attempt to win this game, seemingly happy to disrupt the Tigers’ attacking momentum and collect a point. The best chances of the first half came just prior to the interval, when Whitmore played in Clint Marcelle whose shot was parried away by Williams in the Hartlepool goal. From the resulting corner Ian Goodison planted a header onto the crossbar, the rebound was cleared off the line by Baker.

Into the second half, and it was much the same with City playing almost exclusively in the oppositions half, yet to no avail. John Eyre hobbled off after 15 minutes with a suspected hamstring strain, he was replaced by David Brown. Gary Brabin was having a torrid time in midfield, but he did strike the bar after a goalmouth melee. A lot of City’s good work was undone by an assistant referee who was evidently so cold he had to keep waving his flag to keep warm. It was an offside decision (correct this time) that meant Brown was denied a goal after the goal line was finally breached. City remain in thirteenth place and despite two games without a win are still just two points off seventh place, currently occupied by Cardiff. Terry Dolan’s York managed a rare victory ahead of Saturday’s ‘Battle of Bootham Crescent’, they beat bottom club Halifax 3-1 at the Shay.

Once again, City fell to Big Crowd Syndrome. 6,701 were present at the Ark, the highest home attendance of the season, mostly on the back of two successive away victories. And so, with optimism and hope anew, it was somewhat predictable that City would struggle. And how. After a lively opening from the visitors, City took the lead when John Eyre was felled by a crude challenge by Martyn Booty in the area. Eyre himself stepped up to take the penalty, and was slightly fortunate to score, his shot striking Southend keeper Woodman’s legs before entering the goal. The Tigers, buoyed by this rather fortuitous opening, attacked the Shrimpers goal with commendable intent, but to little avail. Gradually, as the first half wore on, the visitors gained territorial supremacy, and came close several times to equalising, their set pieces proving particularly worrying. Only a string of desperate clearance, poor finishing and superb goalkeeping by Musselwhite kept the score in the Tigers’ favour, though Goodison had an excellent chance in the closing minutes of the half to make it 2-0, a shot from an Edwards header flashing just wide.

The second half began terribly for City, the midfield completely overwhelmed, the attackers starved of meaningful possession, the defence looking increasingly uncomfortable. Former loanee Martin Carruthers struck the post with a superb volley, but five minutes later the visitors had their deserved equaliser. Yet another corner (City faced 14 in total) was swung in by Scott Forbes, and Leo Roget glanced a near post header past Musselwhite. Poor defending, but it had been coming. Visibly panicking, City very nearly sank without trace in the following five minutes. The game became a procession – Southend attacking, missing or having a shot saved, Musselwhite clearing, Southend regaining the ball, then attacking…. It took a double substitution to bring some semblance of order back to City. Brabin replaced the disappointing Philpott, while Wood replaced the isolated Marcelle. Brabin’s snarling presence shook things up somewhat, and as the game wore in, City began to re-enter a contest they should have been losing by a goal or two. The final fifteen minutes were mostly uneventful, though City very nearly snatched a wholly unmerited victory when Wood was put through by Eyre. Despite grimly holding off the thoroughly illegal challenged of two defenders, the Woodman was on hand to pluck the ball from Wood’s feet.

So, a point gained, though not earned. Nonetheless, despite playing very poorly, again the commitment was there, particularly from Brabin, who looks bloodthirsty when introduced to matches late on. Perry played quite well, but the undoubted man-of-the-match was Musselwhite.

Break out the oxygen masks!

City have reached the dizzying heights of the table’s top half for the first time since, err, well, quite a long time ago. A Mark Greaves goal five minutes from time was enough to give the Tiger’s their second successive away win in a scrappily fought contest at St. James Park. It was the home side who started the brightest of the two teams, and Paul Musselwhite made a good save after Grecian’s striker Christopher Roberts intercepted Ian Goodison’s feeble back pass. Greaves later struck City’s first chance of the game, his volley forcing Exeter keeper and shirtmaker Arjan Van Heusden to tip the effort over the bar.

Roberts then had another one-on-one with Musselwhite but City’s new number one was alert to the danger and sped out of his goalmouth to make a challenge on the edge of the box. Exeter were looking the better bet to score at this point, and Tomlinson wasted two good chances to put the home side a goal up. The Tigers seemed quite content to defend, though Clint Marcelle had a good effort saved not long before the break. City had a few more opportunities in the second half, Greaves and Whitmore both had efforts stopped by the Grecian’s netman.

The game was nearing its end when Theo Whitmore flicked the ball to Greaves (He was a defender once I think) who after controlling it, slotted a low shot beyond Van Heusden from 15 yards out. Ok, it was a crap game and Exeter were a little under strength due to injuries, but it was a win nonetheless. One that saw us climb four places to eleventh in the table, one place behind (though level on points with) Scunny who lost 1-0 just down the road at Plymouth. York lost too, with ex-Tiger Gavin Gordon scoring a late winner for Lincoln who ran out 2-1 winners at Sincil Bank. Happy happy! Joy joy!