Today I'm going back eleven years to 2011 and York City's Blue Square Bet (National League) Premier fixture against Braintree Town. The game was played at Bootham Crescent with an official attendance of 2,640 and is one of only three occasions where I have seen York score six goals (I've never seen more than that watching York).
The opposing managers in the respective dugouts that day would have taken some beating, certainly in non-league footballing circles. City had former European Cup winner Gary Mills in charge whilst Braintree's hot seat was occupied by former England International Alan Devonshire (8 caps earned between 1980-1983). Devonshire played at West Ham United for most of his career and racked up 448 appearances for the Hammers, scoring 32 goals along the way. Following the end of his playing career, he moved into management and his managerial career has been marked, somewhat unusually, by a series of relatively long spells in non-league management comprising Maidenhead United (1996-2003), Hampton & Richmond Borough (2003-2011), Braintree Town (2011-2015) and then Maidenhead again (2015 to date).
Ashley Chambers got the goal scoring ball rolling for York after 15 minutes when beating the wonderfully named Braintree full-back Aswad Thomas before slotting past the keeper. Goal number two for York came after 28 minutes and was scored by Patrick (Paddy) McLaughlin. With 37 minutes played, City full-back Jamal Fyfield got in on the act, scoring with a very cheeky backheel after Braintree had failed to clear a free kick, and then, just four minutes later Paddy McLaughlin fired home his second from the edge of the area to make it 4-0. We still hadn't reached half-time but, with City fans chanting "Easy! Easy!" Braintree pulled a goal back through Sean Marks who pounced on a ball that had come back off the post. York goalkeeper Michael Ingham clearly thought that Marks was offside but he wasn't, at least according to the linesman and that's what matters I suppose. 4-1 at half-time became 4-2 in the 62nd minute when that man Aswad Thomas scored past Ingham from an acute angle and, with about half an hour remaining, we began to wonder whether we were about to see City let slip a four goal lead. Fortunately York had Matty Blair who won a foot race with Braintree's Dave Stevens before tumbling in the area. The resultant penalty was slotted home by Jason Walker whilst Stevens received his marching orders. With the game now safe there was still time for a sixth goal for City, scored by substitute Adriano Moke, who was allowed to run at the Braintree defence before curling a shot past the keeper. 6-2! It was a glorious afternoon!
Season 2011/12 comprised a number of glorious afternoon's for York as they secured fourth spot and a place in the National League Play-Offs before eventually beating Mansfield Town in the two-legged Semi-Final and then Luton Town in the Final at Wembley. The FA Trophy had been secured the previous week to make it my favourite ever season watching City. Braintree Town achieved a top half finish, just, ending up in 12th place. Champions that season were Fleetwood Town and the four relegated sides were Hayes & Yeading United, Darlington (who folded), Bath City and bottom placed Kettering Town.
CRB Match No. 1844
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