AN Ebbsfleet supporter successfully proposed to his girlfriend during the half-time interval at Stonebridge Road yesterday.

Unfortunately, for the happy couple and York City’s impressive following of 123 fans, a scrappy 0-0 draw suggested both clubs could be engaged in a relegation battle until the end of the season.

The Minstermen were worth a point with centre-backs Danny Parslow and Shaun Pejic outstanding in the face of awful weather conditions that saw pre-match sunshine give way to hail storms and a bitter driving wind.

Michael Ingham also made two excellent late saves to claim a deserved clean sheet, but league victories on the road remain elusive for the Minstermen.

Yesterday’s result means City have failed to win any of their last ten Blue Square Premier away games since the 2-0 triumph at Woking five months ago.

In fact, the KitKat Crescent club have only claimed maximum points twice on their travels in 2008/9, with Crawley having also been defeated during the opening day of the season.

Four points from a possible 30 represents the current run and, with trips to fellow strugglers Forest Green, Grays, Barrow, Weymouth and Lewes on the horizon, away victories could prove crucial between now and April 26.

Under Martin Foyle, City have generally looked solid defensively away from KitKat Crescent but have struggled to find the right formula at the other end of the pitch with just five goals during the winless ten-game sequence and none in the last three matches.

At Ebbsfleet, the City chief reverted to a 4-3-3 formation with Adam Boyes and Simon Russell flanking central striker Daniel McBreen.

Teenager Boyes, though, continues to look a little overawed by first-team football, snatching at two promising second-half chances in Kent, while Russell failed to provide penetration on the opposite flank.

Fit-again right-back Ben Purkiss looked City’s greatest attacking outlet with his overlapping runs although Onome Sodje also forced the home defence to turn towards their own goal after his late introduction.

Sodje, returning to his old club, went closest to grabbing victory for the Minstermen when an 85th-minute downward header was pushed around his left-hand post by Ebbsfleet ’keeper Lance Cronin.

City stopper Ingham’s reflexes were just as sharp when he kept out a Darius Charles header from point-blank range moments later.

Earlier, home midfielder John Martin’s wind-assisted free-kick on eight minutes saw Ingham required to catch the ball from under his own crossbar.

Shortly afterwards, McBreen drove over with an opportunist 35-yard effort and then failed to convert at the near post after good work by Simon Rusk and Purkiss down the right channel.

Giuseppe Sole, meanwhile, curled a free-kick narrowly over from 20 yards following Levi Mackin’s push.

An entertaining break, combining romance with comedy as a succession of home supporters attempted to perform kick-ups with a Blue Square Premier cube, signalled a better second half.

Boyes was sent clear on goal after 48 minutes by Christian Smith, but elected to shoot early and sliced woefully wide from the edge of the box.

The 18-year-old striker could also only find Cronin’s arms from ten yards after being picked out in the penalty box by Purkiss.

At the other end, Stacy Long forced Ingham to gather at the second attempt following a short corner and the Northern Ireland international performed a spectacular dive to keep out Neil Barrett’s 35-yard strike.

Sacha Opinel was inches away from converting in the six-yard box after Martin’s subsequent corner before Sodje inspired a late rally by City.

First, the former Charlton trainee was denied by Cronin after City’s second on-target attempt of the match. Then, he wriggled his way into the penalty box before pulling the ball back to Mackin, who drove over from 15 yards.

City might still have left Ebbsfleet pointless, however, if Ingham had not pushed Charles’ powerful header over his crossbar.


Match facts

City: Michael Ingham 8, Ben Purkiss 8, Shaun Pejic 8, Danny Parslow 8, Mark Robinson 7, Simon Rusk 6, Levi Mackin 6, Christian Smith 6, Simon Russell 6, Adam Boyes 6, Daniel McBreen 6.

Substitutions: Simon Brown (for Russell, 76), Onome Sodje (for Boyes, 82), David McGurk (for Rusk, 90).

Subs not used: A Smith, McWilliams.

Key: 10 – Faultless; 9 – Outstanding; 8 – Excellent; 7 – Good; 6 – Average; 5 – Below par; 4 – Poor; 3 – Dud; 2 – Hopeless; 1 – Retire

City’s star man: Parslow – put his body on the line with a number of crucial blocks.


Ebbsfleet: Lance Cronin, Mark Ricketts, Leon Crooks, Darius Charles, Sacha Opinel, Neil Barrett, John Martin, Stacy Long (Derek Duncan, 90), Luke Moore, Michael Gash, Guiseppe Sole (Ricky Shakes, 76).

Subs not used: James Smith, Danny Slatter, Sam Mott.


Yellow cards: Boyes 78.

Shots on target: United 6, York 2

Shots off target: United 7, York 5

Corners: United 9, York 2

Fouls conceded: United 16, York 10

Offsides: United 2, York 6

Referee: Ian Smedley. Rating: made the odd erratic decision and a couple of City players were fortunate to escape cautions.

Attendance: 1,244 (123 from City).

Cross of the match: Any of three by the recalled Purkiss that created chances for McBreen, Boyes and Mackin.

Miss of the match: Boyes sliced drive when sent clear on goal early in the second half.

Save of the match: Ingham’s fine reflex save from Charles’ header.


City player watch: Mark Robinson

Goal attempts on target: 0

Goal attempts off target: 0

Blocked goal attempts: 0

Passes to own player: 7

Passes to opposition: 10

Crosses to own player: 0

Crosses to opposition: 1

Pass completion rate: 38.9 per cent

Dribbles ball retained: 0

Dribbles ball lost: 0

Headers: 16

Tackles: 2

Clearances, blocks and interceptions: 8

Fouls won: 1

Fouls conceded: 1

Offsides: 0

Yellow cards: 0

Final summary: Mark Robinson was a solid presence at left back, winning a healthy tally of 16 headers. He struggled with his distribution at times but the wind was a contributory factor. Robinson also rarely ventured into the final third of the pitch, as is illustrated by just one cross into the penalty box and no attempts to go past an opponent.