Today I am once again going back just one year to 2022, this time for York City's visit to the Town Ground in deepest darkest Derbyshire to play Alfreton Town in National League North (the sixth level of the English football pyramid) in front of 1,070 spectators. This game came just one day after my visit to Royal Wootton Bassett (described yesterday and to be found in my blog) and was, in fact, my second game of the day because I'd managed to squeeze in another Hellenic Ground Hop fixture with a visit to Studley against Cheltenham Saracens that morning.
I think if you had told me at the final whistle at Alfreton following York's comprehensive three goal defeat that they would be promoted the following month I would have sought to have you sectioned for your own safety. Make no mistake, City were dreadful in this game which came hot on the heels of a similarly poor defeat away from home against Kettering Town. I know my football you see and York didn't even begin to look like promotion contenders to my expert eye. How wrong I was and how grateful I was to be guilty of such a schoolboy error. After this game Alfreton were still in with an outside chance of the Play-Offs and York looked like they were about to blow their own chance.
York were quite frankly bullied out of the game and were two goals down after just 21 minutes, never looking like they were going to recover. It was something of a recurring theme that City's players frequently looked like they didn't "fancy it" when facing a side that showed a bit of aggression. Alfreton looked like a team and, to a man, everybody in their side seemed to have stepped up and had a good game. Alfreton had a long throw specialist in Adam Lund and two of their goals came from throws deep into the penalty area which caused mayhem and, frankly, panic in the York backline. Town's Dominic Smith scored twice with striker Matt Rhead completing the rout with a penalty. To his credit, City's manager John Askey was extremely honest in his post-match comments and recognised that the display was "poor" and was "bitterly disappointed that we can't compete". Harsh words indeed but the (non) performance that day surely merited them.
Little did we know it at the time but this was to be City's last defeat of the season. York went on to secure 5th place (of 22) in National League North and entry into the end-of-season Play-Offs whilst Alfreton missed out on the Play-Offs by just two points finishing in 9th position. Somewhat improbably York then went on to secure promotion with wins against Chorley, Brackley Town (away) and then again in the Final against Boston United. I can't begin to tell you how surprised I was at City's promotion but I couldn't have been more delighted.
CRB Match No. 2488
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