Luke Williams' promotion searching Notts County bounced back from their first defeat in style, as they turned York City over with a 3-1 win. County took an early lead after five minutes, as Quevin Castro netted a beautiful free kick on his full debut, from 40 yards out.
Luke Williams' promotion searching Notts County bounced back from their first defeat in style, as they turned York City over with a 3-1 win.
County took an early lead after five minutes, as Quevin Castro netted a beautiful free kick on his full debut, from 40 yards out.
Fraser Kerr's outstretched leg was what gained him his first goal for The Minstermen and the equaliser, surprising most people in the stadium.
The visitors lead at the break thanks to Macaulay Langstaff's diving header, after City failed to cut out the incoming cross.
Langstaff then sealed the victory late on, after Sam Austin took advantage of a mistake at the back and knocked it across to the forward who slotted past goalkeeper Ethan Ross.
John Askey made three changes to a York City side that were looking to go a sixth game unbeaten - AJ Greaves, Alex Whittle and Maxim Kouogun all returned in the place of Gus Mafuta and injured pair Mitch Hancox and Ryan Fallowfield.
The visitors also made changes to the side that was defeated at Dorking last week, with Geraldo Bajrami and Cedwyn Scott missing out, replaced by Quevin Castro who came in for his full debut, plus a return for Richard Brindley.
York were only five minutes in when they found themselves a goal down, after conceding a free kick from 40 yards out. The spectacular effort from Castro made quite the impression for him, as Ethan Ross misjudged the ball, whilst it flew brilliantly into the top right corner.
Confidence within the City eleven seemed to have taken an early knock, and the home side were almost on the wrong end of a 2-0 scoreline, Macaulay Langstaff able to make a run through the defence, and ultimately scuffed his opportunity, shooting straight at Ross.
Notts County continued to control the game, as some attacking play between Matt Palmer and the ever-threatening Langstaff found the magic feet of Ruben Rodrigues, and it was another let off for The Minstermen, Ross coming to the rescue again, diving to deny the dangerman.
The Magpies are known to make games tough for their opposition, but York slowly began to ease into the game with a few decent spells before the 25 minute mark, but once more, the league's top scorer Langstaff managed to find space, and took on a shot from 20 yards out, only narrowly missing the crossbar.
Ten minutes before the break, a shock appeared to be on the cards with the latest attacking opportunity for the hosts actually finding the back of the net. Olly Dyson's driven cross into the box from the left, saw a hopeful, stretching Fraser Kerr divert the ball home, the LNER erupting on cue for Kerr's first goal in maroon.
The job for John Askey's men was to hold on until the interval, but Luke Williams' Pies had different ideas. Receiving the ball on the right of the box, Aaron Nemane swung a delicious cross into a poaching Langstaff, who, with plenty of space at the back post, finished off the move with a diving header, giving Notts the lead for the second time.
Another huge let-off for the hosts occurred shortly after returning from the half time break, the 'miss of the season' a potential name for the embarrassment that Adam Chicksen caused himself, virtually clearing Castro's goal bound cross off the goal line and into Row Z.
Langstaff misfired from an angle minutes later, blasting high and wide from close range, but despite the feisty affair and rising tension throughout, there was rarely any goalmouth action for the majority of the second half.
With just the one goal in it approaching 80 minutes, it was always possible that York could get back into the game, but after a slip at the back from defender Maxim Kouogun, County put them possibilities to bed, breaking forward and the former-Minsterman and notorious goalscorer Langstaff slotted home with ease to claim his second of the game, overtaking Manchester City superstar Erling Haaland's goal tally.
An emphatic 3-1 win for Notts County moves them up just the one place, but it keeps them within touching distance of the likes of Wrexham and Chesterfield.
York City however, drop out of the playoff places and into 9th, which is still a good takeaway for the promoted side after just ten games.
York City: Ross, Dyson, Kouogun, Kerr, Sanders (Mafuta 71’), Whittle, Pybus, Greaves (Burgess 64’), Kouhyar, John-Lewis, Duku (James 54’)
Subs not used: Whitley, Hurst
Goals: Kerr (35')
Yellow Cards: Greaves, Whittle
Notts County: Slocombe, Brindley, Cameron, Rawlinson, Castro (Austin 66’), O’Brien, Palmer, Chicksen Nemane, Langstaff (Scott 84’), Rodrigues (Mitchell 84’)
Subs not used: Francis, Adebayo-Rowling
Goals: Castro (5’), Langstaff (43', 79')
Yellow Cards: Rodrigues, Nemane
Attendance: 6,759 (1,734 Notts County)
York City Man of the Match: Olly Dyson
Referee: Lewis Smith