York City boss Stuart Maynard has called his side’s final-day National League title decider at Rochdale “one of the biggest games in the English football pyramid”. The Minstermen top the table by two points from Rochdale going into Saturday’s match.
Both sides have broken the 100-point barrier in what has been a great battle for the lone automatic promotion place to the English Football League.
Maynard Emphasises a Normal Approach
“We’ve kept it normal, but we know the magnitude of the game,” Maynard told BBC Radio York when asked about his side’s preparations. “These are the games that we want to be involved in.”
“We know from the outside it will be documented as probably one of the biggest games in the English football pyramid this weekend, but for us nothing changes.
“The lads have been incredible, but all that matters is that come the final whistle we’re top of the league.”
This is the second time in the past four seasons that two teams in the National League have accumulated over 100 points after Wrexham and Notts County both achieved the feat in 2022-23.
Dieseruvwe’s Late Goal Sets Up Final Day Showdown
York were moments away from securing the title last Saturday before Dale striker Emmanuel Dieseruvwe scored an injury-time winner at relegated Braintree to take the battle for promotion to the final day.
The Minstermen’s home win over Yeovil had finished with Dale still level in their match and players had followed the final minutes of Rochdale’s game on the pitch hoping they would be able to celebrate ending the club’s 10-year wait for EFL football.
Maynard said his side, who finished second with 96 points under Adam Hinshelwood last season before losing to Oldham in the play-offs, had moved on from last weekend’s blow.
“The disappointment went very quickly,” Maynard said.
“There was a natural reaction of feeling down because you think you’ve got your hands on it and then it is taken away from you. But the minute we got in the dressing room we addressed the group and said, ‘Look, you’ve got to go away now and enjoy the weekend with your families and look at how far we’ve come’.
“The pressure does mount, but I believe we have performed in the same way we have all season and that is a credit to the group.”
Ebanks-Landell’s Perspective
Rochdale skipper Ethan Ebanks-Landell joked that “whoever put the fixtures out at the start of the year might be getting a little bonus for how it’s ended” with the title race coming down to the final day.
The 33-year-old defender was part of the Dale squad who were relegated out of the Football League in 2022-23.