Match Report: York City 2-2 Aldershot Town

A 2-2 draw at the LNER Community Stadium on Saturday afternoon all but confirms York City's survival from the drop, while mathematical safety is secured for Aldershot Town.

The penultimate game of the season encountered a slow start before the Shots got themselves ahead sixteen minutes in as Haji Mnogo headed home from a corner.

A flat first-half showing from the hosts required a response after the break, and that is exactly what City fans got.

Ten minutes after the restart, a penalty was inevitably awarded to York after Shaq Forde was hacked down inside the box, and striking partner Lenell John-Lewis made no mistake in converting to equalize.

And it was only another ten minutes before John-Lewis won himself another spot-kick, however this time he failed to take advantage, hitting the post.

The ball was recycled and sent forward, and the preceding penalty miss was quickly forgotten, as a humiliating moment for Aldershot defender Corey Jordan saw him head into his own net to put the Minstermen in front.

But the scoring wasn't done there - Tyler Frost managed to level the scores once more, diverting home from a corner in stoppage time to secure a point for the visitors.

With York City aware that a win would secure them National League safety after a rollercoaster season, two changes were made to the side that were narrowly beaten at Torquay, as Michael Duckworth and Gus Mafuta returned to the eleven.

Aldershot were also still at a slight risk of relegation and in need of just a point after claiming victory at Wealdstone in mid-week - thankfully for Shots fans, manager Tommy Widdrington didn't spring any surprises and stuck with the same team.

It wasn't exactly the rapid start that most people expected, but Aldershot attacker Jack Barham looked keen to throw a spanner in the works of York's survival plan thirteen minutes in.



His effort from inside the box was well off though, sending the first chance of the game over the bar before his deflected shot a couple of minutes later landed on the roof of the net.

The resulting corner came to good use, Aldershot taking advantage of poor marking from their hosts to find the lead - an inswinger from Ryan Glover was connected with perfectly by an arriving Haji Mnogo, who nodded down past Whitley to silence the home crowd early doors.

Homegrown talent Michael Duckworth was hoping to make an impact on his return to the team, but his gametime was cut short within the opening twenty minutes as a facial injury saw Maxim Kouogun enter the field as his replacement in an unfortunate enforced change.

With the drop to regional football looming large for the Minstermen, the atmosphere around the ground was quite a fair reflection of the situation.

While matters inside the LNER Community Stadium didn't look like they were going to improve anytime soon, a goal elsewhere in the league livened things up a bit - Altrincham scoring against Torquay would mean safety for City.

Half-time edging closer and York one down in their final home game of the season - it wasn't hugely promising but captain Lenell John-Lewis almost threw his side a lifeline with a header at the back post, agonizingly diverting upwards and over rather than into the back of the net.

Searching for a response as the second forty-five got underway, Shaq Forde couldn't resist the temptation of shooting from distance nine minutes in, however his try was tame and an easy claim for the 'keeper.

And barely sixty seconds later, Forde's dart into the area was halted by an illegal challenge, presenting York City with a golden opportunity to score from the spot.

It would have been wrong to doubt John-Lewis from twelve yards, as he crucially smashed his penalty down the middle, levelling things up.

Quite evidently, that was the boost that the Minstermen needed, almost flipping the match on its head after 65 minutes when the ball fell to Olly Dyson outside the box, but a first-time rocket was guided just wide.

In an incredible turn of events, yet another spot-kick was awarded to City, following a blatant foul on John-Lewis by Shots 'keeper Luca Ashby-Hammond, yet on this occasion, the skipper failed to make it count, watching his effort come back off the post.

But for the North Yorkshire outfit, they need not worry, as the chance was recycled and launched forward again, only for Aldershot defender Corey Jordan to deliver a looping header into his own net, gifting York a first lead on the day.

A common theme in Michael Morton's post-match interviews is regularly the frustration of not taking chances, which his Minstermen side usually live to regret.

That would once again be the case, as newly-crowned Clubman of the Year, Dyson crashed his header off the post and with John-Lewis lurking right in front of goal, still couldn't turn home the rebound, instead shooting over to some disbelief.

Approaching stoppage time, the news that Altrincham had equalized late on against Torquay spread quickly around the stadium, signaling that safety would be mathematically confirmed for York should the score remain the same.



But inability to defend another set-piece led to a late Shots leveler one minute into stoppage time - a corner in from the left met the boot of Tyler Frost at the near post, who struck past Whitley to give the traveling fans something to shout about.

It is a result that also confirms that Aldershot Town will play in the National League next season, a relief to many.

The same could have been said for City, had they held on for all three points. Instead, they will have to wait until next Saturday to have their safety mathematically settled, barring an impossible 14-goal swing.

York City: Whitley, Fallowfield, Duckworth (Kouogun 26’), Ellis, Crookes, Hurst, Mafuta, Dyson, McLaughlin, Forde (Duku 75’), John-Lewis

Unused Subs: Campbell, Kouhyar, Thomas

Goals: John-Lewis (56’ pen), OG (70’)

Aldershot Town: Ashby-Hammond, Kenlock (Harfield 73), Partington (Amaluzor 83’), Cordner, Campbell, McQuoid, Jordan, Mnoga, Glover, Willard (Frost 73’), Barham

Unused Subs: Rowe, Ochieng

Goals: Mnoga (16’)

Yellow Cards: Mnoga