Manager Martin Gray admitted the end of season had proved a total disaster as York City limped towards an embarrassing eleventh-place finish following a 2-0 defeat at Brackley Town.
The Minstermen failed to win any of their last seven games while taking just a couple of points, to leave themselves rooted to the very bottom of the end-of-season form table.
Hopes had actually been briefly raised with the scoreline remaining blank at the interval and their three main rivals for seventh place all losing.
But York then conceded twice during the second period on their way to another decidedly tame defeat, while their former duo Adam Boyes and Oli Johnson were simultaneously combining to take Bradford Park Avenue – who City achieved a league double over – into the play-offs.
“I thought the performance first-half up the hill was good,” Gray told BBC Radio York. “Sean Newton should score to make it 1-0. Then you go in at half-time 0-0 and you think with the slope in the second-half.
“We had to bring Jon Parkin on just to give us a little bit of goal-threat,” he explained. “I think the change in the game was when his goal is disallowed. For me it’s just Jon being strong and outmuscling their centre-half. And I think at 1-1 you possibly have the momentum then to go on and win the game.
“We need to apologise to the fans of York City because we haven’t achieved. And I take the blame for that. All I can do is aplogise and make sure that we put it right.
“The end of season has been a disaster and we’ve got to put it right. We’ve got to give the people of York, the fans, something to go far.
“As I said last week, judge me with my own players,” Gray stressed. “There will be hopefully one or two good signings by Friday. Judge me by what I put out there and you will see what success is.”
Aidan Connolly was notably axed from his sixteen and would appear likely to be one of the first casualties when the retained list is announced next week.
However, the majority of York supporters will be hoping there are plenty more joining him after being forced to endure the most shambolic season in the club’s proud history.
