York City head coach Scott Lindsey said he had to 'win fans over' after his first match in the LNER Community Stadium ended in boos. The supporters responded with anger as Lindsey began his tenure with a defeat, falling to a disappointing 2-0 defeat to Crawley Town in the Carabao Cup preliminary round.
Having only taken his first training session as York head coach two days prior, Lindsey's team looked short of ideas as they missed out on a potential trip to Sky Bet Championship side Watford.
But with fans still angry at the decision to part ways with title-winning manager Stuart Maynard, chants of his name rang around the stadium to disrupt an otherwise stale evening at the LNER Community Stadium.
Lindsey said he wouldn't let the boos and chants get under his skin, being aware that in order to get supporters on side, he would have to get some wins under his belt as City's new head coach.
What happened?
Lindsey's team fell behind when Gianmarco Di Biase tucked home from a teasing low ball into the middle, before Crawley doubled the lead from the spot later on, with composure shown by Danilo Orsi.
Why it matters for York
The defeat was a disappointing start to Lindsey's tenure, and the fans' reaction was a clear indication of the pressure he will face to deliver results.
What comes next?
York City's next fixture is against Rochdale at home on 2027-02-27, and Lindsey will be looking to bounce back from this defeat and win over the fans.
Lindsey said, 'It is what it is. Rule number one as a football manager or a football coach - win games. I've lost one tonight, so we'll try to win the next one.'
He also outlined his frustrations with elements of City's defending, believing it was a direct cause to the opener.
What Lindsey said
Lindsey said, 'There was lots I was pleased with, but I thought we defended poorly down our left side on three occasions. Their first goal came from that, we were a little bit static and a little bit flat in those areas.'
He also added, 'I also felt that we were quite loose with the ball in the first-half and the final third for me is where definitely need to improve.'
