Payback time was the declaration of York City's newest goal hero John Williams.

STEPPING IN: City defender Barry Jones takes the ball away from Carlisle's Paul Harries at Brunton Park last night

The 31-year-old marksman opened his City account with the decisive strike that toppled Carlisle United in last night's showdown between two teams bundled out of the FA Cup at the weekend.

It was Williams' first goal since he arrived at Bootham Crescent in a £20,000 move from Cardiff City six weeks ago, since when he has been blighted by poor form, illness and jibes from the terraces.

But he gamely grabbed his reward, his strike in the ninth minute of the clash at Brunton Park registering City's fourth win in their last five League games and extending an undefeated Division Three sequence to seven matches. Curiously City remain locked in 17th place, but now they are just three points off the last play-off place.

However, there was a sting in the tail for the lanky marksman. His recall to senior front-line duty lasted less than 30 minutes, Williams having to limp out of the clash with a hamstring injury.

As he nursed his injury Williams dedicated the goal to manager Neil Thompson for sticking by him.

Revealed Williams: "I've not had much luck since I've been here at York. But it was good to pay back a little of the faith that the manager Neil Thompson has put in me.

"It's taken me a long time to get settled, but the gaffer and Adie Shaw (Thompson's assistant) have both been really patient."

Williams was recruited by Thompson based on his superb strike-rate in Cardiff's promotion-winning team of last season when the Midlands-born front-man tallied 18 goals in 36 games.

Conceding the move to Bootham Crescent had not started as well as he wanted, Williams said: "I've never come this far north before in my whole life and so it's been hard to settle down. I didn't find somewhere to live at first and that didn't help.

"After coming on the back of all those goals last season, it's good to be off the mark again."

Recalling his first City goal he said he was totally unmarked at the near post as Wayne Hall's ninth-minute corner came over. "At first I thought 'what's going on, there's no-one else here around me'. I thought 'should I flick it on' and then I thought 'no, just head it in'.

"For the first 25 minutes we were quite hot, but then we had to withstand a lot of pressure and our defence and midfield deserve a lot of credit. Still, it's another three points to keep us moving."

The City goal hero was hoping his swift replacement may have prevented a more serious injury.

Williams signalled to the bench his left hamstring had been 'tweaked' as he set off on a run, revealing he had not undertaken a pre-match stretch routine.

"I have one leg two centimetres longer than the other. I normally ask the trainer to give me a special 'back click'. For some reason I did not get it done, so when I felt the hamstring I knew it was best to come off. If I had stayed on it probably would have snapped," he said.

City manager Neil Thompson was anxiously awaiting a check on the injury, but he added he was thrilled Williams had finally got off the mark.

He said: "I'm delighted that John scored as it's not happened for him until now. He started the match brightly and it will do his confidence no end of good to have scored. I just hope the injury is not going to be too bad."

Boss targets killer instinct

by Tony Kelly

York City boss Neil Thompson has identified the 'X'-factor missing from killing off their rivals.

Delighted at a return to victory and a seven-match unbowed League streak, the City chief confessed to being irked at missed chances which could have rebounded heavily on the Minstermen at Carlisle last night.

He said: "We put ourselves under pressure and the back four were terrific. But we should have taken our chances early on to make sure Carlisle could not have come back. The game should have been over after the first 25 minutes.

"But then in the second-half we tried to run with the ball too often and we did not keep possession too well."

Patience and poise in front of goal was now needed to apply the finishing touch, added Thompson.

"I cannot fault the work ethic of the team. They have come in at the end shattered after running their socks off. And after the setback we have had in the FA Cup we have got back to stretching our League run," said the City manager

"But a little more composure in certain areas would mean they would not have to work so hard. We've got to make certain we take our chances, so as teams do not have a sniff of getting back at us."

Thompson, meanwhile, has named himself on the bench for tonight's reserves clash at Scunthorpe. It would be the manager's first outing in almost a month.

Midfielder Steve Agnew will also be hoping to show a big improvement on the neck injury, which has ruled him out of the last two senior outings.

City reserves: Howarth, Thompson, Reed, Keegan, Dawson, Bullock, Garratt, Walters, Agnew, M Williams, Turley. Subs: To be announced.

Collection point

A bucketful of cash brought a smile to the faces of organisers of a York City supporters' protest group last night.

The Fans Against Craig's Tyranny (FACT) group raised £26-73 from passing a bucket round amongst the 150-or-so City fans who made the trip to Carlisle.

It will go towards the £41.12 the group was billed by City for cleaning up after their red card protest at Bootham Crescent last month.

FACT spokesman Greg Stone said: "It was all in coppers which is just what we want." Stone said he had appeared on the regional BBC Look North TV programme before the game, and said he had been promised a donation by presenter Harry Gration.

Stone said the group would be holding a further collection outside Bootham Crescent before Saturday's home match against Macclesfield to raise the rest of the cash before deciding how to hand over the pile of coins to the club.

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