Grey & Wet Day

York City 5-1 Aldershot Town (National League)

I was in New York last weekend for a shopping and show birthday getaway with the wife, this weekend it's old York and back to the matchday grind. I tell her 'if it weren't for the football we wouldn't get these luxurious long haul trips away' which at least appeases her to release me when we haven't got something 'better' to do.

York are going well in the National League under Stuart Maynard, Aldershot aren't, under a new Manager in John Coleman, they are still yet to take a point from his first five league matches in charge and are in a rut of seven straight defeats with just one point from ten, relegation form, however they did beat Fulham in the National League Cup on Tuesday, derby defeat last weekend at home to Woking though, would have really hurt the already downbeat Shots fans who are really starting to feel concerned.

I'm not going to harp on too much about the history of these teams, two former league sides of course, York first appeared in the Football League in 1929 and were an ever present until 2004, reaching the second tier in 1974 at their height (a league which Manchester United won), before relegation a season later in 1976. The Minstermen were relegated to the Conference National in 2004 and spent eight seasons in the fifth tier before promotion via the playoffs in 2012 (beating Luton Town in a Wembley final), they lasted four years in League Two before successive relegations had them fall as low as the National North, they have been in the National Premier since 2022 and after finishing second last season, are a front runner for promotion again this time around.

Aldershot Town formed in 1992 following the closure of Aldershot FC who had fallen into debt after struggling in the bottom division of the Football League for a number of years.

The original Shots actually spent 60 years in the Football league spending most of their days in the fourth division and prior to that, the old third division south.

Post 92 Town first appeared in the Isthmian League, winning the third tier in their first season running before promotion the following campaign to the first division which they eventually won in 1998. After five years in the Isthmian Premier they won that division in 2002/03 and gained promotion to the Conference/National League which they won in 2008, joining the football league where they stayed for five seasons, before settling in at level five, where they have been now for thirteen years.

The Shots did win the FA Trophy last season after a 3-0 Wembley win against Spennymoor but things have been difficult since, it's a long old trip near 500 miles return for the Hampshire based outfit today, a little less for me, around 180 there and back.

A two hour drive, I'm out the door for 11am, it's a wet grey day and it's been raining all morning, I didn't even get to take the dog out it's been that bad, as I battle against the Black Friday shoppers first down the ring road in Nottingham, then as I approach York centre on the A64 which is chockablock with traffic.

The Venue

Finally, a little later than scheduled, I arrive at the Vangarde Shopping Park which is across the way from the York City LNER Community Stadium and Leisure Complex. The whole place around here is alive with modern retail therapy, you can park your car outside Next or M&S but you must pay a fiver on match days which covers a four hour stay, as I walk through the car park through crowds of shopper's and over puddles in the rain I'm tempted by a quick coffee and cake at Cafe Hotel Chocolate but head straight for the media door instead, asking if my name is down, "not today" the bosses have forgotten to add my request again.

I'm told to ask at reception if they can sort me out a ticket and I walk through the glass doors and ask a guy in a Hummel York tracksuit who obliges without hesitancy, he takes me into the club offices and prints me a ticket which I can use to get through security and scan in on the media door entrance.

I like the back stage feel of entering York's new ground this way, you walk through a long white painted corridor under the stand and open a door which takes you out behind a bar serving beer, before making your way through the concourse and up to the press seats around ten or so rows high, rain falling down on the tables state that cover isn't guaranteed, but the seats are comfy, cushioned with arm rests, blue leather, power if needed below.

I really like the stadium, it's a pain in the arse to get to, North East side of York, it's not great for free parking, and it's horrendous getting out, but the stadium itself is certainly one of the best in the National League, if not the best, a real modern home of a club which feels is in a really good place right now.

Four sided, all seated, enclosed, modern, unrestricted viewing, it's one reason I don't mind the two hour drive to visit, which I often do nowadays at least two or three times a year.

The Game

I've noticed a David Longhurst banner behind the goal, a flag which I've seen before, one is touching, a player who tragically died during a match against Lincoln City in 1990. I must have been eleven years old but remember it vividly, as it was the first tragedy of a footballer dying whilst playing that I can remember.

More upbeat, Club mascot Yorkie is dancing to local band Shed Seven's Talk of the Town played over the tannoy, he knows all the moves and is bopping around in full red kit on the pitch, he's got a bit of a beer gut, but as mascots go I quite like him, he's trying to get the kids involved from the clubs under nines, they are egging him on and joining in with some moves, it must be good fun to be a mascot, under cover, you can basically act like a kid again and nobody (bar me) bats an eyelid to your weirdness.

As Yorkie (and the much better looking female Yorkie) finally head off the dancefloor, the two sets of teams come out, still wet, grey skies, it's bloody freezing but I have a new fur hat which I brought from Macy's last week, keeping my head warm, my big coat is protecting me from the rain and my hand warmers are keeping the fingers alive.

York are in red, Aldershot all yellow, and the home side immediately kick on the front foot, Josh Stones plays like a 30 year old running against children, he's powering through the Shots defence not once, but twice, in the early stages, his second forage has him make space for Alex Newby, he crosses in from the left and Greg Olley is waiting, to head home his second goal in as many matches.

As Aldershot look off it I'm thinking to myself are they the worst team in the National League I've seen this season? John Coleman has made six changes to the side that lost against Woking but one player who does stand out is their left footer Ryan Jones, he's driven forward on a couple of occasions linking with their busy and willing skipper Ryan Hill, before taking aim on thirteen, Jones shooting low past Harrison Male after being given far too much time, it's a goal that sparks Aldershot into life, suddenly they believe.

The away side are dominant, by now they are creating chance after chance as the home fans begin to yell and moan, they are irate, annoyed of the way Maynard's team play, often sideways and back, slow tempo and lacking imagination, at one point Ryan Fallowfield passes to his goalkeeper as one fan shouts 'get it bloody forward' his next attempt is to take the fans advice, when he should have played back, he tries to go forward and gets caught in possession, it's not been very pretty, the away side have had a series of corners on the bounce, eight two they lead in that department at the break, the teams locked at 1-1 as the fans around me head off with discontent to get their pies and pints.

The Score

I'm chatting to a scout from Genius who's a Forest fan from Leeds, he like me is freezing and feeling the force of the weather, my notepad is wet, my phone is wet, my knees are cold but at least my head is warm thanks to my new hat.

The yellow glow of the floodlights at least brightens the pitch against darkening grey skies, no sooner has the whistle restarted the second half, have York retaken the lead, which leads to a mass of returning fans from the warmth, had they not scored so soon, I doubt they would have came back so quickly.

It's a neat move down the left, Newby and Pearce combining and space opens up, centre half Malachi Fagan-Walcott is for some reason on the edge of the box, he drives low and via a deflection the ball bounces in. I'm thinking it's Joe Felix who scored as York's only other black player on the pitch, he's a right sider and it should be the position which you would think he takes up, but what was Walcott doing there? Doing good, scoring goals, is the answer.

That goal lifts the home side who regain their dominance, by now the Aldershot attack is filtering away, confidence draining down their drenched shirts, heads dropping towards the soaked pitch, moves not now coming off, the home side are starting to be strong again. Josh Stones back bullying defenders.

They have full control by the time they make their second sub on 63, Joe Grey is a player I once scouted for York, whilst at Hartlepool two seasons ago, well they took my advice and signed him in the summer, he's replaced Joe Felix, and has got on the ball immediately, jinking into the area, he's dropped a shoulder, which drops a defender to the floor, Grey then smashes home hard and high right footed into the roof of the net. What a sub. Instant impact.

Grey is not done yet. He receives a pass by Greg Olley with time and space too much to slide home low, then is bundled over inside the box on 86, he picks himself up, and the ball, before calmly slotting home his hat-trick. I feel like a proud dad watching him for the first time in red and blue.

There's time late-on for Aldershot to implode some more, Archie Taylor at left back has had a torrid time since coming on as a first half sub for the injured Ryheem Sheckleford, he's dived in on Grey again, frustration, a second yellow, then red, he walks off straight down the tunnel as York see out the game, the rain finally stopping as Joe Grey match ball in hand, waves to the fans behind the goal, in celebration after what was a good half an hours work, York didn't have it all their own way during this match, but they got the job done, and emphatically stamped their name on the title race some more, a point behind Rochdale and Carlisle they are third, level on points with Forest Green and a point ahead of Boreham Wood in fifth.

The Stars

It was a Grey day and Joe may have taken his thirty minute man of the match with a finely taken hat-trick but he only optimised the space given to him which was down to some good York movement and some shoddy defending by Aldershot.

The yellows had few highlights on another bad day. Ryan Hill was competitive and at least trying to unlock doors from midfield, Hady Ghandour did some neat things alone in attack, Ryan Jones was their best player by far, nobody else worthy to take even a hint of praise.

York were much better in the second half but you can see in the way they play, they have structure and confidence, good players all slotting into a 343 that likes to pass and probe patiently. Centre back Malachi Fagan-Walcott is composed and cultured, often roaming free whenever he likes. Dan Batty is a good Yorkshire name, a midfielder tigerish who passes more often than not backwards, which by no means is a bad thing. Sometimes retention is key, he drops into defensive pockets and keeps the ball ticking along, offering space in midfield areas for others to utilise.

The real key to York's success this season is no doubt in attack. Ollie Pearce on the left of their three is the divisions top goal scorer, he only needs half a yard to get a shot away, Josh Stones is a real powerhouse handful and a player I think who's improved since I last saw him. At one stage reminding me of a very young Stan Collymore many years ago. A striker bigger, quicker, stronger, than the defenders he faced, a bully with pace, who can score goals, I doubt he'll be in the National League for long. Greg Olley is also a nice compliment to the front three, the former Gateshead player is inventive on the ball and takes up good spaces whilst working hard for the team.

Depth is also a quality that will help in a promotion race, Joe Gray is a silky smooth player who has ability to punch further, one question is does he do it often enough? In Hirem Boateng, Ashley Palmer, Ollie Banks, they have football league experience in reserve, which may help during more testing times this season.

The Verdict

Can York go one better than last season? I certainly think they'll be in the mix come May? A good footballing team with goal threat, they may slip up against those a little more direct, but will outscore most opponents they face.

For Aldershot, they face a long hard remainder of the campaign, I don't think they have the tools or heart for surviving relegation. I feel for their Manager John Coleman as it's not his fault, inheriting a team lacking characters, which is what they need to add, if they are to attempt to stay up.

The Teams

York City: Harrison Male, Ryan Fallowfield (Zak Johnson 46), Mark Kitching, Malachi Fagan-Walcott, Alex Hunt, Josh Stones (Ben Brookes 80), Ollie Pearce (Ashley Nathaniel-George 80), Dan Batty (Hirem Boateng 80), Greg Olley, Joe Felix (Joe Grey 63), Alex Newby.

Aldershot Town: Coniah Boyce-Clarke, Cameron Hargreaves, Ryan Jones, Ryan Hill, Hady Ghandour, Will Nightingale, Ryheem Sheckleford (Archie Taylor 39), Sam Inwood (Kiban Rai 89), Dejen Tetek, Matt Penney, James Henry (Tyler Frost 77).

3:00pm Kick Off. Saturday 29th November 2025, York Community Stadium, York (att 6,454).