Town’s rivalry with York intensifies

Defeat to the Minstermen in last season’s play-offs, the ugly scenes that followed, the furore over this season’s abandoned game at Kenilworth Road and City’s subsequent 5-0 thrashing in the rematch means there is no real love lost between the two teams.

Newton said: “There is an underlying rivalry there. We will always feel we owe York one for the play-offs last year and it’s just unfortunate we couldn’t do it.

“No-one wants to lose a game, especially considering where we are.

“It’s a bit of a lively game and we’ve come out on the wrong side of it.

“Fair play to the York crowd. They get behind their team and make it a nice lively atmosphere.

“We are a strong enough and capable enough team.

“We can come to away grounds like this and put on a solid performance.

“Other than their goal I thought we did that. It was a quiet dressing room after the game, not a lot said. Not a lot needed to be said.

“The lads are pretty down. We’ll reflect on it, not harp on about it too much and put the right performance in on Saturday.”

Keeper Mark Tyler was also disappointed with the defeat, but claimed Town had tried to treat it just like any other game. He said: “It depends what’s been leading up to the game through the press. We just concentrate on the game.

“There’s been a little bit of trouble over the last three games. There will always be a little bit of needle, but it’s just another game.

“We need to step up our attacking play. We were safe and sound second half but it was disappointing we couldn’t put any chances away.”

Tyler pulled off two terrific first half saves, but played them down, saying: “They caused us a few problems early doors from set-pieces. It’s a great delivery from their lad and he has got in front of Freddie (Murray).

“They were two relatively easy saves. I was a little bit disappointed about the goal but it was a good finish.

“I can’t remember any goal that has come like that (Town being caught square) this season and the lad has tucked it away well.”

Manager Gary Brabin was also frustrated with the defeat, despite not being able to see the second half following his dismissal.

He said: “I’m disappointed with the goal we’ve conceded.

“I think we’ve had a couple of chances early on, Jason Walker was clean through and pulled one wide. I think it was an evenly contested game.”

On the Freddie Murray injury that saw him stretchered from the field, and Amari Morgan-Smith hobbling off, Brabin added: “It’s looking very similar to the Danny Crow one, a knee injury.

“We don’t know too much about that (Morgan-Smith’s) at the moment, but we are obviously concerned by Freddie Murray’s one.”