WITH Operation Survival successfully completed, Russ Wilcox is ready to perform surgery on York City’s squad following a 2-0 defeat to Newport.

In the final fixture of a Bootham Crescent campaign that has tested the patience of home fans, the Minstermen failed to score for a 13th time in 25 contests on their own soil.

Since the club’s formation in 1922, no other City side has come even close to this term’s paltry return of 16 league goals at home.

This season’s side needed to score five times against their Welsh visitors to avoid taking an unwanted place in the club’s history books, but only managed three attempts on target all afternoon.

One of those was a saved penalty, taken by ten-goal top-scorer Jake Hyde, who has now failed to net in 17 Sky Bet League Two outings in North Yorkshire – a sorry sequence stretching back to August.

Attacking team-mate Michael Coulson, meanwhile, has gone more than a full calendar year, amounting to 25 home matches, since he last scored at Bootham Crescent – with the free-kick that secured a play-off place during last season’s corresponding fixture between the two teams.

In this meeting, he shot over an open goal from seven yards.

Both chances went begging at a crucial point – in between David Tutonda and Lee Minshull’s second-half goals for the visitors.

Shaun Miller also did little to justify his selection as Hyde’s striking partner instead of on-loan Spurs striker Shaq Coulthirst – the latter finding the going tough at left-wing back before being restored to a striking role following Wilcox’s 67th-minute reshuffle.

At the back, City looked all at sea for a second successive weekend when defending a set-piece, with Minshull wrapping matters up following his unopposed header from a Mark Byrne free-kick into the six-yard box, only seven days after Mark Ellis had been given similar freedom to settle the previous encounter at Shrewsbury.

Michael Ingham also had to make several saves to prevent a heavier margin of defeat and the performances of County wing-backs Ryan Jackson and Tutonda highlighted that improvements could be made in those key positions if Wilcox keeps faith with a 3-5-2 formation next term.

During the opening exchanges, City had made the early running without seriously threatening Joe Day’s goal.

Russell Penn volleyed over from the edge of the box and Hyde fired wide from the same distance before Luke Summerfield curled a free-kick off target.

But the hosts were fortunate not to fall behind from Newport’s first forward raid of the game on 18 minutes.

Byrne slipped a pass inside Coulthirst for Jackson to race on to and his low centre picked out Miles Storey eight yards from goal but, with only Ingham to beat, the on-loan Swindon striker wastefully cleared the crossbar.

Shortly afterwards, Storey also blazed over having brushed off a Keith Lowe challenge.

Coulson went on to drive wide from 25 yards but Ingham saved from Tutonda at his near post after the powerful and purposeful wing-back had ridden a Brad Halliday tackle.

Another counter-attack, following Coulson and Summerfield’s reluctance to shoot from promising positions on the edge of the Exiles’ penalty box, saw Ingham keep out an Aaron O’Connor effort.

A further 20-yard drive from the ex-Luton striker was also parried by City’s long-serving shot-stopper who, with his contract up for renewal in the summer could have been making his final appearance at Bootham Crescent.

Ingham was beaten five minutes after the interval, though, when Yan Klukoski breezed past Stephane Zubar through the right channel before pulling the ball back for Tutonda, who had positioned himself smartly to blast in from ten yards.

Profligacy then prevented the home side from getting back on level terms.

Coulson skied over after Coulthirst had taken Day out of the equation by rounding the County keeper and squaring the ball following a blistering burst to collect Miller’s pass.

On 59 minutes, City forced their first corner with Day diving low to his left to keep out Lowe’s downward header.

He also reacted swiftly to deny Coulthirst at his near post before Klukowski was penalised for a shirt pull on Lowe.

Hyde stepped up to take the subsequent spot kick but his shot lacked the necessary venom and conviction to beat Day, who pushed the ball around his left-hand upright.

After O’Connor headed wide from Storey’s left-wing cross, Newport made the points safe on 75 minutes from a free-kick conceded by the cautioned Halliday.

Byrne swung the ball in and Minshull escaped Zubar’s attentions to head in from four yards with Ingham positioned on his line.

Newport might have then added to the scoreline but City sub Femi Ilesanmi prevented a scrambled Klukowski effort from crossing the line and, in stoppage time, Tutonda shot straight at Ingham after Halliday had failed to cut out a through ball and Tom Owen-Evans volleyed a tame follow-up effort into the home keeper’s arms.

Defeat meant Jimmy Dack’s men, who had lost their four previous fixtures, became the fifth side to complete a double over City this season, following on from Southend, Dagenham, Wimbledon and Shrewsbury.

It also left Bobby Saxton’s 1987/88 strugglers as the only team to pick up fewer home victories than the five managed this term. Wilcox, who took over as manager when that malaise had already taken its grip in mid-October following a run of eight North Yorkshire fixtures without a triumph, will be doing his utmost to ensure the 83-year-old arena is given a more fitting farewell next season prior to the proposed move to Monks Cross.

 

Match stats

York City

Michael Ingham: 6 – made saves to prevent his team suffering a heavier margin of defeat.

Keith Lowe: 6 – STAR MAN forced Day into a fine diving stop from his header and won the missed penalty.

John McCombe: 6 – given a couple of nervy moments by Newport’s pace but generally coped well.

Stephane Zubar: 5 – caught napping a little for both goals and took responsibility for the second.

Brad Halliday: 5 – given a tough time by Tutonda and rarely crossed the halfway line.

Russell Penn: 6 – not at his competitive best as Newport won the midfield battle.

Luke Summerfield: 5 – much quieter than in recent games and had little influence.

Shaq Coulthirst: 6 – tried his hardest at wing-back and provided City’s one moment of attacking spark.

Michael Coulson: 5 – looked jaded and low on confidence, typified by open-goal miss.

Jake Hyde: 5 – nearest he got to visitors' goal was when his penalty was saved.

Shaun Miller: 5 – aside from through ball for Coulson chance, contributions were minimal.

Subs: Femi Ilesanmi 6 – focused (for Miller, 67), Josh O’Hanlon (for Coulson, 77), Tom Platt (for Penn, 88).

Subs not used: Lindon Meikle, Lewis Montrose, Jason Mooney.

Newport County

Joe Day, Regan Poole, Lee Minshull, Kevin Feely, Ryan Jackson, Adam Chapman (Tom Owen-Evans, 90), Yan Klukowski (Aaron Collins, 87), Mark Byrne, David Tutonda, Aaron O’Connor, Miles Storey. Subs not used: Shaun Jeffers, Kyle Patten, Joe Parker, Jamie Stephens, Kieran Parselle.

Star man: Tutonda – powerful and pacy down left wing.

 

Referee: Darren Deadman (Peterborough).

Rating: 7/10 – good communicator and positive with decisions.

Booked: Minshull 15, O’Connor 35, Jackson 43, McCombe 45, Klukowski 60, Halliday 74.

 

Attendance: 3,459 (197 from Newport).

 

Shots on target: City 3, Newport 9.

Shots off target: City 6, Newport 6.

Corners: City 4, Newport 8.

Fouls conceded: City 11, Newport 13.

Offsides: City 0, Newport 3.