Pools' in-form Youth Team made it four wins on the bounce with a battling 2-0 triumph over York City at Welfare Park on Wednesday afternoon.
Ian McGuckin's men came in to the game still unbeaten in
2020 and they very rarely looked in danger against The Minstermen and victory
took them within three points of their visitors in the table with a game in
hand.Luke Chapman and Ben Reay were on target during a dominant
first half for Pools and, although City came out stronger after the break, they
couldn't find a way back in to the game.After a scrappy start Pools were in front with just five
minutes gone when the referee spotted a foul inside the area, though there was controversy
to follow. Chapman's spot-kick was brilliantly clawed away by the York keeper
only for the referee to order a re-take after adjudging that the ball had been
blown off its spot during the run-up. The second kick was blasted home to give
Pools the lead.It was 2-0 midway through the first half when a neat move
down the left provided Reay with the chance to whip a cross in and, while two
Pools players did try and get on the end of it, their presence merely put the
keeper off and the ball flashed across the area and in to far corner of the net.There were more firm tackles than clear-cut chances in an
encounter made difficult by swirling winds but it was City who started brighter
at the start of the second half.However, despite their improvement, they didn't really
trouble the Pools backline and McGuckin's youngsters came close to making it
3-0 when Coleby Shepherd drilled a shot just over the bar from the edge of the
area.Chapman saw a snapshot from twenty yards flash just wide of
the post before another effort just a couple of minutes later drew a fine save
from the visiting keeper across to his right.York's best chance came ten minutes from time when a
sweeping move down the right earned them a shot at goal but it was fired
agonisingly over the bar and Pools survived.“Result-wise we're really pleased again and the performancewas solid enough, given the conditions,” McGuckin told us afterwards.
“We didn't play as well as I know we can but the lads had to
dig in at times because York were always going to provide a big test given that
they were second in the table.“Fair play to the lads, they have done what is required
again and kept the run going – we're starting to get some consistency now so
let's see how far we can go with it.”Full Time: Pools 2 York City 0
Pools: Lowerson, Miller, Naisbett, Thompson (Sturdy 15), Pilling, Campbell, Reay, Shepherd, Webster, Chapman, Grey (Willoughby 68).
Subs not used: Leonard, James, Gibson.
https://youtu.be/cFjth1ojgZM