Report: York City 1-3 Wrexham
Defeat leaves the Minstermen teetering above the relegation zone
York City manager Gary Mills endured a tough day contest against his former side Wrexham on Saturday afternoon, losing 1-3 in a result that drops York to just one place above the relegation zone, safe on goal difference.
The Minstermen went ahead inside two minutes, but an own goal from Dan Parslow meant it was level at half time, with Jordan White adding the winner 13 minutes after the break. Wrexham, who sacked Mills in October, sealed the win through Leo Smith in the first minute of second half injury time.
Though Parkin opened the scoring after 90 seconds, the visitors from North Wales could have had their own quickfire goal even earlier, Ntumba Massanka through on goal but unable to control the bouncing ball.
Just a minute later and the hosts were ahead, Danny Holmes found himself in acres of space on the right hand side and whipped in a cross which, after an Asa Hall flick on, was bundled in by Parkin at the second attempt. Shawn Jalal in the Wrexham goal will be disappointed with how he dealt with the toe-poke, which squirmed under him.
The Minstermen looked in total control for the first 25 minutes, Hall and Simon Heslop winning the midfield battle and the wingbacks Holmes and Alex Whittle stretching Wrexham.
But after dropping deeper midway through the opening period, they came under increasing pressure from the visitors, who equalised through their own goalmouth scramble after half an hour of the match. White reached a Massanka flick on first, and though Loach got down well, his save rebounded off Parslow into his own net.
City did respond to te equaliser, pushing further forward but not troubling Jalal, a fizzed Parkin shot wide of the right post coming closest to restoring the one goal advantage. As it was the teams went in for the half time break level, the score 1-1.
Six minutes into the second half and Heslop should have put York back in front having been found with space 12 yards out by a Parslow pass. Leaning back, his effort blazed well over the bar.
And Heslop it was who must take part of the blame for the Wrexham second, failing to close down Martin Riley, who found left back James Jennings in acres of space, his cross turned in by White at the far post after 13 minutes of the second half.
York looked to reply straight away, and Amari Morgan-Smith would have done so four minutes later if not for a brilliant Jalal save, diving sharply to his right with the striker set through one-on-one.
With 15 minutes to go in the match, Mills switched his side to a 4-3-3, adding Sam Muggleton in midfield for Shaun Rooney. But it was Scott Loach in the home goal who was tested just minutes later, diving low to his left to deny the impressive Jennings.
York did have chances in the last 10 minutes, Morgan-Smith met a dinked cross from the right on the volley, but the connection wasn't clean and was comfortable for Jalal to gather.
But it never looked like being York's day, and the defeat was confirmed in the first minute of injury time, substitute Smith firing in left-footed from a tight angle low to Loach's left.
On a tough day for the Minstermen, perhaps the only consolation came in the form of results elsewhere, which kept City out of the relegation zone, meaning safety is still in their hands. Next weekends match against fellow relegation candidates Woking, however, is now almost on life or death scale for Gary Mills' side.
By Peter Rogers, York City Reporter