Match Report: York City 2-2 Altrincham

The Minstermen secured their first point of the Vanarama National League season, drawing 2-2 against a strong Altrincham side

York kicked off on the front foot, creating multiple chances early on, and opening the scoring on nine minutes.

A corner into the box found Tyler Cordner, who flicked it back across goal to set up a super volley into the back of the net for talisman Dipo Akinyemi.

37 minutes in and Alty had their equalizer, as Chris Conn-Clarke advanced into the penalty area from the right and fired a low shot past David Stockdale.

However, that lead lasted barely a minute, as Stockdale launched a ball down the pitch, which saw Akinyemi run onto it and square it to Callum Harriott, who tidily finished off the move.

The visiting Robins would level things once again though, and after numerous second-half chances, it would be substitute Matty Kosylo who was there at the back post to fire in the rebound following Stockdale's parry.

Finally, failed formations were swept aside by York City boss Michael Morton, with a more familiar 4-3-3 set-up played, however there was one late change as Alex Woodyard was replaced by Paddy McLaughlin having pulled up in the pre-match warmups.

Just a couple of changes were made to Phil Parkinson's Alty side following their 3-2 win over Woking at the weekend - Justin Amaluzor and Matty Kosylo dropped to the bench as they were replaced by Sam Roscoe and Joey Jones, while goalkeeper Ethan Ross started against his former club.

With City fans in full voice, their side looked to put on a proper show, and set the tone early, as debut-maker Thierry Latty-Fairweather burst forward down the left-hand side before releasing a low shot, which was ultimately claimed by Ethan Ross.

Soon after, the hosts had their second chance, with Dipo Akinyemi knocking the ball across to Quevin Castro, lingering outside the box - the Portuguese midfielder took a couple of touches, then looked to find the top corner, but for Ross, who was forced into a diving save, punching away.

The resulting corner ended up finding the back of the Alty net, just before the ten-minute mark, and it was no surprise to see Akinyemi grab his second goal in just three games.

The perfect set piece found Tyler Cordner, who managed to flick it back across goal for York's record-signing to smash home on the volley.

The lead was nearly doubled on a couple of occasions around the 17th minute - Akinyemi had his well-struck free-kick tipped over the bar by Ross, before a cross from Callum Harriott shortly after was headed into the arms of the Robins 'keeper by Castro.

Phil Parkinson was lucky that his Altrincham side were only one down approaching twenty minutes when the visitors began to create chances.

With York's free-kick opportunity unable to find the back of the net, Eddy Jones tried to make his dead ball effort worthwhile, striking low and hard towards the bottom corner, forcing the vastly-experienced David Stockdale to turn around the post.

The ex-Sheffield Wednesday stopper was in action again ten minutes later, making an incredible block to deny a fierce Chris Conn-Clarke hit from the right edge of the area.

But he couldn't prevent a second opportunity for the striker eight minutes shy of the break, as Conn-Clarke was allowed to advance freely into the box, cut inside and slide the ball past Stockdale to level things up.

However, their lead lasted merely a minute, as York responded in style, through Harriott.

A ball over the top from Stockdale saw Akinyemi run onto it after the Alty defender had fluffed his clearance - cutting inside and playing it across goal to Harriott, the latter coolly picked out the bottom-right corner to restore the lead immediately.

And that would bring an end to quite an entertaining end-to-end first half, with the Minstermen probably on top at this stage.

York returned from the break in search of a second to cushion their lead, and weren't far off finding it with a strike driven narrowly wide of the 'keeper's right stick.

There was panic down the other end though, as Altrincham scuffed multiple opportunities to get back in the game.

Conn-Clarke couldn't put his usual quality on display from a 52nd minute free kick, watching it fly high over the bar, but more chances would arrive for them shortly after.

Stockdale had to react well a couple of times to keep out efforts from Isaac Marriott and Lewis Banks, before his defence eventually cleared.

York City fans thought their side were back in front on the hour mark as Latty-Fairweather's low shot from an angle looked to have rippled the net, but it took them a few seconds to realize it was just the side-netting that had been struck.

That would be the closest that the home side would come to a second-half goal, with action resuming down the other end.

Yet again, Stockdale had to be equal to a low Conn-Clarke strike, which he tipped wide, assuring the one-goal advantage for his side still, while the Robins made a couple of changes, including the introduction of Justin Amaluzor and Matty Kosylo.

The latter came on and had an immediate impact less than a minute after entering the field - a parried shot from the City stopper fell to no other than Kosylo at the back post, and he made no mistake in firing home on the rebound to equalize for a second time.

And from this point on, you would have to say that Altrincham were unlucky not to take all the points back across the Pennines.

Banks couldn't provide the end product inside the final six minutes after scuffing his shot at the back post, before about a minute later, a corner picked out Eddy Jones in the box, but his header at the back post was agonizingly flashed across the face of goal.

Kosylo was close to having a double impact off the bench as the match approached the ninety mark, but his curling effort towards goal was deflected just wide.

There was to be one last chance for York to nick it though - Akinyemi's powerful low strike was well-saved by Ross though before an even better injury-time chance fell at the other end.

It was Conn-Clarke once again, but after beating his man, he couldn't manage to keep his shot down, as both teams were made to settle for a draw.

York City: Stockdale (C), Andoh, Howe, Cordner, Latty-Fairweather (Hancox 70’), McLaughlin, Dyson (John-Lewis 82’), Castro, Siziba (Kouhyar 75’), Akinyemi, Harriott

Unused Subs: Campbell

Goals: Akinyemi (9’), Harriott (39’)

Yellow Cards: Latty-Fairweather, Akinyemi, Castro, Howe

Altrincham: Ross, Banks, E.Jones, Baines (Amaluzor 64’), James Jones, Osbourne, Marriott, Linney (Angus 74’), Conn-Clarke, Roscoe, Joey Jones (Kosylo 64’)

Unused Subs: Cooper, Wilson

Goals: Conn-Clarke (37’), Kosylo (65’)

Yellow Cards: E.Jones, Conn-Clarke, Marriott

Referee: Paul Marsden

Attendance: 4,334 (214 away)