[visiongallery set=72157629221797712]
Photos: Tom Wooldridge
A fatal volleyed stunner in the 85th minute saw Hull edge York 3-2 on 22 Acres, condemning the hosts to a painful relegation from the BUCS Northern 2B league.
Hull’s central midfielder caught the sweetest of strikes on his right foot after York only half-cleared a cross, the ball looping agonisingly over Luke Bradley to bring about a bitter end to York’s season.
Twice York had gone behind and twice they had recovered heroically to equalise, which would have been enough for survival. They will rightly feel aggrieved at suffering a defeat they probably didn’t deserve on the overall balance of play.
Having been unable to beat Leeds 2nds on Sunday, which would have guaranteed safety, all the pressure came down to this match. Bottom side Hull, a side York had already beaten three times this season in all competitions, began the afternoon on 6 points, with York just ahead on 7.
Captain Dan Turley rallied his troops with a rousing cry before kick off and the match soon took on a furious pace as both sides realised the enormity of the occasion.
Hull almost took an instant lead when their striker beat the offside trap, bearing down on Bradley, but the York ‘keeper got a vital touch to divert the ball to safety.
York did not monitor the early warning signs and fell behind after only five minutes. Rob Rix found himself out of position, allowing Hull’s right winger to drive towards the by-line and pull the ball back.
Hull’s number 9 collected the pass and, although his side-footed shot was not powerfully struck, it took a sizeable deflection off Tom Brandreth to creep inside Bradley’s right-hand post.
York came close to an immediate reply, though, as Ollie Harrison beautifully controlled Brandreth’s long pass in the area but flashed his cross-shot just wide from an acute angle.
The chance gave York confidence and their equaliser was one for the footballing purists. Rob Rix, Brownlow and Beadle executed some delightful one-touch passing on the left before the ball worked its way to Davies on the edge of the area.
Collecting Davies’ incisive pass, Josh Brownlow thumped a goalbound effort which was parried out to the arriving Davies at the back post, who tapped home in predatory style.
After half an hour, Dan Jones saw an opening as Tom Brandreth’s long throw from the right unexpectedly found him at the back post, but Jones’ header from six yards was straight at the ‘keeper.
But Hull should have finished the half ahead after missing a golden opportunity. A ball over the top of York’s defence found the big number 9, who wastefully skied his effort instead of finding his teammate arriving unmarked in the box.
The second half began scrappily and Hull quickly took a 2-1 lead. An inswinging corner was not dealt with at the near post and the ball bounced through a crowd of players to the number 9, who teed himself up and slammed home, eluding the attentions of Harrison.
York’s perseverance was admirable, however, and for the second time they hit back with a swift equaliser.
Harrison found space to run into down the left wing, and run he did. Reaching the dead-ball line, he cleverly checked inside but his ankles were clipped by the Hull defender, and the referee pointed immediately to the spot.
In the absence of Tom Clarke, Matt Mawdesley stepped up to the plate and slotted home a textbook penalty to the ‘keeper’s left. York were back level at 2-2 and would be staying up.
Dan Atherton was sent on for Rob Rix in an attacking substitution by the manager, and with the wind in their sails, York were all over Hull as they searched for an insurance third goal.
Beadle whipped in a vicious, dipping cross from the left but Jones could not grow enough at the back post to test the goalkeeper with his header. Then Mawdesley tried his luck with a speculative volley from 20 yards which was well struck but comfortably saved.
York almost went behind with 15 minutes left, though, as Dan Jones magnificently adjusted his feet to clear a Hull shot off the line with Bradley beaten, after the striker had ghosted through a poor offside trap.
Hull were now becoming more threatening and York suddenly couldn’t get out of their own third, never mind their own half.
Bradley made a routine save low to his left, then unorthodoxly blocked a shot with his foot as York’s goal was peppered with shots from the edge of the area.
York got a brief break when the Hull goalkeeper handled the ball just outside his area, but the free kick was overhit and wasted.
Then, York tried to bring on Phil Taylor to shore up the midfield but this was frustratingly prohibited by the referee as Taylor’s name was not on his list of players.
Hull’s winner had been coming, but the manner in which it was scored was unexpectedly, and devastatingly, brilliant.
York did well initially to clear a low cross to just outside the area but they were dreadfully unlucky that the Hull midfielder scored the best goal of his life. Catching the volley on the laces, the ball dipped wickedly in a cataclysmic trajectory over the stranded Bradley, putting York behind yet again.
This third goal came so late it was a psychological blow to the York players, who understandably looked utterly deflated. Davies’ stooping header at the back post from a cross, which was comfortably saved by the ‘keeper, was their only real opening in the dying moments.
Hull still had time to hit the crossbar after Bradley had fumbled a shot, with York wide open at the back, and James Offord’s introduction came too late to spark any life into York’s forays up front.
The scenes at the final whistle were a sad sight, as the heartbroken York players wondered what had hit them, while the Hull players celebrated in jubilant fashion.
It is important that York learn from their experience this year and come back stronger next season, which they surely will do with such promising talents in their ranks.