York City 0 Oldham Athletic 3: Latics enjoy a second Yorkshire feast inside a week to break White Rose hearts again
York City’s more optimistic followers might well have been fancying a bit of that ahead of tackling a rival who trailed them by an even bigger margin – 23 points – in the league campaign in Oldham Athletic, but those with shrewd heads were also entitled to be rather more wary.
And so it emphatically proved. Here, the reverse happened.
For the uninitiated, the form book went to type in the Championship semi-finals where Sheffield United brushed aside Bristol City with contemptuous ease by a handsome aggregate of 6-0 as they headed to Wembley with more than a hint of swagger.
Here, Oldham made a mockery of the league table and gorged on White Rose blood after dining out at FC Halifax Town’s expense previously at Boundary Park in an earlier eliminator play-off.
York City boss Adam Hinshelwood praises Oldham Athletic and laments Minstermen’s lack of ‘experience’ and ‘know-how’
YORK CITY manager Adam Hinshelwood cast aside his bitter disappointment to congratulate Roses rivals Oldham Athletic, who did an impressive number on his under-par Minstermen side to book a Wembley ticket and break home hearts at the LNER Community Stadium on Tuesday evening by virtue of a fine 3-0 win in their National League play-off semi-final.
On their big night, City – in their first game for over a fortnight – had a bad bout of stage fright against a Latics side who came into the eliminator semi with plenty of momentum following an outstanding 4-0 win over more White Rose opponents in FC Halifax last Wednesday.
Oldham, managed by serial play-off exponent Micky Mellon, carried on from where they left off at Boundary Park and took an interval lead in front of a crowd of over 8,000, thanks to Joe Garner’s opener.
It was a gift following a dreadful roll-out by keeper Harrison Male to Alex Hunt, with impressive Barnsley loanee Vimal Yoganathan picking the York schemer’s pocket and setting up veteran Garner midway through the first half.
Yoganathan rifled home an impressive second early in the second half before Joe Pritchard’s deflected header killed the tie, the cue to a pitch invasion from some ecstatic Latics fans.
Hinshelwood, whose side finished 23 points above Oldham in the regular season, said: “It was (a bad night). First, we’ve got to congratulate Oldham.
“There weren’t too many chances in the game and they put their chances in. They have done the job and I wish them all the best in the final.
“It was key that we stuck to how we have played and done all season. If we look at the first goal back, Harrison played it very quickly to Hunty and it was a big moment in the game and then the goals early in the second half in quick succession killed the tie off.”
Believing that his side paid a price for a lack of ‘experience and know-how’, he added: “Probably with where we are, it’s our first season (at the top). The top teams have had a bit more experience and know-how.
“When we have played against the top teams in big games this year, they seem to anticipate where the next pass is going to go and are on the front foot a little bit more than us. I think that comes with experience and the quality of player.
“But I am not hammering players. They have been unbelievable and given us their all and been brilliant all season.
“Our learning in these big games needs to be that mentally we need to be a bit more switched on and focused.
“Barnet came and put it on us at their place; Forest Green in the second half at their place..They are ones which spring to mind (also).
“They (Oldham) had a really experienced manager and team and the eight who sat in the dug-out all looked like experienced players and that’s the depth of their squad.
“We were probably at the limit. No Crooksey, he did his groin taking a penalty on Monday, which absolutely killed us a little bit.”
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