So two iffy looking trips to Reading and York produce a maximum haul of six points. Following the defeat a fortnight ago against Wigan we again appeared at the season’s crossroads. Yet again however we've bounced back, took the right turning and the Graydon Express rolls on.
At the risk of repeating myself the character that this side possesses is unreal. It seems that when their backs are right up against the wall and everyone is waiting for the inevitable collapse to begin they find another gem of a performance.
I reckon I’ve been waiting since August for this collapse but possibly for the first time I really don’t think that it’s going to come. Now when I start believing we’re into serious times.
Today we didn’t play all that well. Sure we were good enough to beat a very spirited York side but they were a bit too one dimensional to do us any real damage.
It certainly helped that Dazzer’s dead ball cross sailed over everyone into the back of the net inside the first five minutes though. One nil up away from home again but I really didn’t fancy 85 minutes of so see if you can score football.
To be fair we didn’t appear to sit back although York certainly pushed us back for extended periods in the first half and only a combination of good defending, hard work and lacklustre finishing saw the first half end with our lead intact.
The need to score again and ease the nerves was pretty evident and Andy Watson crushingly opened the second half just as Wracky had opened the first. Chasing a long Neil Pointon punt upfield he beat the defender cut inside, beat him again and curled a sweet right footer around former Spurs keeper Bobby Mimms and into the net. A fine goal in any situation but the release of tension that came with a two goal cushion was there for all to see.
The players even relaxed and for two or three brief minutes pushed the ball around with some aplomb. Only a amazing miss by Pingu broke the rhythm. Wrack running through the York defence and pulling the ball back for Larrusen to side foot into an empty net from five yards out. He missed and the chance took our composure with it.
Had he scored then the game would have been over, as it was we'd lost the initiative and suddenly had everything to lose. In many ways it was bit like Barry Hayles and his one on one with JW at the Memorial Ground. That afternoon we grasped the advantage and stole a game we had no right to even be in.
Today we had to make sure it didn’t happen to us.
With sixteen minutes to go the Minstermen pulled one back. A long ball over Brissett caught us out and a cross into the box found our back four flat footed and the very impressive Cresswell reduced the deficit.
From then onwards it was tin hat time as the now almost weekly onslaught began. The players sat on the edge of the box, the fans on the edge of their nerves and we attempted to hold on. Again.
No real scares ensued and the referee called time on a very useful win and for the second consecutive weekend we had escaped without a booking. The players were elated at full time and you can clearly see the belief that they have in each other.
All in all a fine eight days work.