York City: Minstermen taught harsh lessons back on big stage

Yet they should not feel too down after fluffing their lines following an eight-year absence from the Football League.

After all, they were two divisions away from Saturday’s visitors last season and Doncaster, against whom they only went out of the League Cup on penalties at the Keepmoat the previous week, were in the Championship last term.

Captain Chris Smith, York’s sole survivor from 2004 when the Minstermen not only dropped out of the League but were also in dire straits financially, reflected on the journey.

“It has been a long road back and I was very proud to lead the team out and the crowd were brilliant,” said Smith, greeted by a huge ‘City are back’ banner in the packed David Longhurst Stand.

“We are back in the league, it’s where we belong and, hopefully, we will never go down again,” said the central defender who led York to a Wembley double last season as they followed up FA Trophy success with victory in the conference play-off final.

“The only way to go is upwards and, with that support, that is where we will go. (Saturday) wasn’t right but the fans still clapped us off at the end and that leaves a good feeling.

“Hopefully, by the time we return here after Morecambe and Barnet we will have six points on the board.

“Doncaster had just got relegated from the Championship with good players and Wycombe got relegated from League One so we knew it was going to be a tough start but that is no excuse.

“We could have won last week and we were in there (against Wycombe) – we deserve to be in there playing these teams. But now we are playing Morecambe and then Barnet, who some may say are the bread-and-butter sides.

“We can’t go in with the attitude on Tuesday that it’s just a League Two side but it is an opportunity to show what we can do.

“We are a bit disappointed, though. The gaffer hit the nail on the head when he used the word naive. We have not played our game. I don’t know if it was the occasion or what but you have to give Wycombe credit for the way they squeezed us.

“We were a bit peed off about the third goal because we thought the ball had gone two yards out – but we should still have defended it.

“We got one back and had a couple of half-chances but came off disappointed. It seemed that we did not want the ball. We need to be brave on the ball.”

There had been little between the sides until the 28th minute when York sloppily conceded possession and Matt Bloomfield’s angled drive struck the inside of Chris Doig’s right leg, leaving goalkeeper Michael Ingham stranded as the ball deflected inside his left-hand post.

York were again careless in midfield as the ball sat up nicely for Sam Wood to hit a tremendous 38-yard dipping volley over Ingham to make it 2-0 before the break.

It seemed game over when Grant Basey sent a deep cross, which York felt had gone out, and Stuart Lewis mis-kicked a shot into the path of last season’s 25-goal top scorer Stuart Beavon, who needed no second invitation to rifle the ball home.

Manager Gary Mills was at least heartened by York’s response as Daniel Parslow crossed, Ashley Chambers knocked it back and striker Jason Walker converted from Jonathan Smith’s shot, though he looked a touch offside.

“Smithy struck it with his shin and I think Jason hit it with his bum but he’s a striker and will take any goal he can and, if it sets him off on a run, then who cares?” said the York captain.

Matty Blair then wasted a great chance to make it 3-2, and Parslow, pushed forward as Mills rang the changes, went close as Jonathan Smith continued to drive at the heart of the Wycombe defence where Leon Johnson was in tremendous form.

“We have to learn from this and on Tuesday play the way we play. We have to be brave and want the ball – we haven’t done that (against Wycombe),” said Mills, whose side travel to Rotherham in the first round of the JP Trophy.

“A few of us were not brave enough to play how York City play. I know we can win 
football matches if we play our game.

“It was a fantastic day for everybody, the first game back in the Football League but I’m gutted I was unable to deliver a win for them,” added the manager, who, in the second half sent on Jon Challinor in Parslow’s right-back role, the attack-minded Blair for defensive midfield man Lee Bullock and handed a debut to former Darlington player John McReady in place of Michael Coulson.

“That’s football. We have to look at it and take it on the chin and move forward together. I know what we are capable of and I know we are capable of a lot better than that.

“Anybody who has seen us play in last 12 months will know we have not played the way we can. We were a little bit naive but we got a goal back, we never laid down and at 3-1 we had a couple of chances and might have sneaked a point out of it.”