AFC Telford 3 York City 5 - Report and pictures

A calamitous defensive performance, which included a howler by goalkeeper Ryan Schofield, saw York City hit five and condemn the Bucks to a third straight defeat which keeps them hovering just a point above the drop zone.

Trailing 5-1 early in the second half, Rob Edwards’s men fought back impressively and might, on another night and but for some fine saves from keeper Adam Bartlett, pulled off a remarkable comeback.

Their late bravery should not, however, disguise what came before. For much of the first hour, the visiting Minstermen had their way with a home defence with more holes than a block of Emmental.

The poor state of the pitch and snowy conditions did not help but at times things threatened to get embarrassing.

Minstermen skipper Sean Newton scored twice after being unmarked at corners, while Schofield gifted Raul Correia a goal when he tried to dribble past the striker and lost the ball.

Adriano Moke and John Burn also scored for the visitors before Telford rallied late.

Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, who had netted in the first-half, pulled another one back just past the hour mark before Connor Johnson sparked an unexpectedly frantic finale when he reduced the deficit back to two.

Ultimately it was too little, too late for the Bucks, who have now won just one of their last ten league games, a run which stretches back nearly three months.

Edwards made three changes from the team beaten 3-0 at leaders Salford City on Saturday, including a first start for Ellis Deeney, who joined from Bucks from Tamworth just hours before.

Elliot Newby and Jordan Murphy were also both recalled, with Ross White and Marcus Dinanga dropping to the bench and Jon Royle out of the matchday squad altogether.

York arrived at the New Bucks Head in their best form since 2014 and eager to extend a four-game winning run which has seen them climb into the top six.

They could surely not have dreamt of a better start to this game, as Telford gifted their visitors a two-goal lead.

Both came in the ninth minute, the first when Minstermen skipper Newton was left totally unmarked at the far post to head home Simon Heslop’s corner.

Worse was immediately to follow. From the kick-off, the ball was played back to Schofield who, faced with the onrushing Correia, attempted to go around the striker.

On such an untrustworthy pitch, it was an inexplicable move and duly punished as Correia stole the ball, ran round the keeper and rolled it into the empty net.

Stung, the Bucks were fortunate not to be out of the game inside the opening quarter-of-an-hour as their kamikaze approach to defending continued.

The lively Aiden Connolly curled a shot from the edge of the box just over the bar, before Schofield partly redeemed himself when, as his team-mates all stood like statues, he blocked from Correia at point-blank range.

Telford eventually settled and on 21 minutes got themselves back into the match.

The ball was eventually worked out to Ryan Wilson, who hung up an inviting cross which Ebanks-Blake, rising above two defenders, headed past keeper Bartlett and into the net.

Going forward, the Bucks looked dangerous. Yet they remained shaky in defence and, sure enough, just when it looked as though the game appeared to be settling down York scored again.

Just like the opener, it came from a corner, this time Newton making his run to the near post to meet Heslop’s delivery and nod past Schofield.

To Telford's credit, they rallied and Jordan Murphy should have reduced the deficit back to one when he raced clear of a static defence, only to drill his shot too close to Bartlett, who palmed the effort round the post.

As the snow fell harder, the action became even more frenetic and with a minute remaining before the break York had a fourth.

Moke was allowed to advance to the edge of the box before sliding in a pass for Correia. Schofield came quickly off his line to block the striker's shot but the rebound came straight back to Moke, who lifted it over the keeper and into the net.

Edwards responded by making all three substitutions at the break, with Ross White, Henry Cowans and Marcus Dinanga all introduced off the bench.

But within 90 seconds of the restart, York had the ball in the net again as the Bucks failed to defend a corner. On this occasion they were saved by an offside flag as Hamza Bencherif applied what appeared a needless final touch to Correia's goal-bound shot.

Six minutes later, the hosts would not be so fortunate as Burns did make it five. Heslop's brilliant 25-yard free-kick beat Schofield and hit both posts before being turned home by the Minstermen centre-back, by far the quickest player to react.

The Bucks were now playing for pride and Dinanga was denied by Bartlett before Ebanks-Blake got his second of the game, with a fierce shot, just past the hour mark.

When Johnson forced the ball home at a corner with 19 minutes remaining, the game was suddenly back on as the visitors, suddenly nervous, dropped deeper and deeper.

Bartlett saved at the feet of Ebanks-Blake before making an even finer save to keep out the former Wolves man’s powerful drive.

The keeper then pulled off the save of the game to keep out Shane Sutton’s header at a corner.

Teams

Telford (3-4-1-2): Schofield, Sutton, Leak (White HT), Johnson, Newby (Cowans HT), Deeney, Lussey, Wilson, Marsden, Ebanks-Blake, Murphy (Dinanga HT)

Subs not used: Leonard, Singh (gk).

York (4-4-2): Bartlett; Law, Burn, Bencherif, Ferguson; Heslop, Moke (Parslow 75), Newton, Connolly; Correia (Gray 69), Parkin (Morgan-Smith HT)

Subs not used: Rowe, Simpson.