AFTER years and years of heading to Bootham Crescent and coming away with anything but a win, wouldn’t you just know it that our final visit to one of the grand old grounds would see us finally come away with the three points. Of all the memories from heading down the A19, victories formed no part of the highlights reel until Saturday’s 1-0 win.

While the win was obviously amazing and I’ll get on to that shortly, if you will just indulge me for a moment, the joy of victory was tempered slightly by coming away from the old ground for one last time. There are many commonalities which link the two clubs. Many players have played for both clubs. We spent many a year in the same leagues – they even went to the lengths of getting relegated to the National League North just to reacquaint themselves with us!

Then there were the grounds. Feethams and Bootham Crescent had a very similar feel. Central locations. Short distance from station and pubs. Black-painted walls for toilets - at least the old toilets at Feethams had a roof. Just on a side note, I have always wondered which poor sod was tasked with having to paint those walls? Whilst Feethams is now long gone, I wonder if the York fans will, like us, look back in a few years time wishing they were still at their spiritual home? With Boston leaving York Street next year as well, it’s a shame we are losing two proper old-fashioned football grounds.

On the pitch, you can’t help but buzz from the result and performance. Just before Christmas, it appears Santa Claus gave us exactly what we wanted. Three points at York and Sean Reid, a big, physical presence for all our buzzing attackers to play off.

Although Reid clearly plays deeper than where Tyrone O’Neill operated, he was able to provide the physical workload which allowed Adam Campbell to terrorise the York defence. Dare I say he looks like a younger version of Dave Syers. Given Reid hasn’t been playing regularly for a mid-table team in the league below, it’s impressive that he was able to come straight into the side and look like he’d been there all season.

I could probably go through the team and sing the praises of each player. When we click, it is a proper team effort with no passengers. Our first half performance could be argued to be the best we have played all season. How we were only 1-0 at half time was a real head scratcher.

Against a top side in York, a full time outfit probably outspending us by a fair amount, you can’t have a poor player on the pitch if you’re going to get something. On our day, we can beat any side in the league and look good doing it. Saturday was our day.

Having missed the games against Chester and Solihull, I hadn’t witnessed our post-FA Cup upturn in form. With the squad looking a bit more plump with options and players looking to have regained their fitness after a fairly attritional period around the games with Walsall, we appear to be right back on it now. The games are going to come thick and fast in the next couple of weeks.

Playing so many games in such a short space of time must be incredibly hard for the players, especially with them being part time. The players are going to need the same sort of backing they got on Saturday. If we can back them to the hilt and the players can perform to similar level we saw at Bootham Crescent, there is every chance we will have plenty of festive joy.

Merry Christmas everyone!