Álvaro Hernández
Dailysports's expert
On May 20, the "York Community Stadium" will host the National League playoff semi-final, where York City will go head-to-head with Oldham Athletic. For this match, I'm offering a bet on goals, cards, or the winner.
York City
The team has only ever managed to win the Football League Trophy—an achievement tailored for those not competing in the Championship or, even more so, the Premier League. Just a year ago, they nearly dropped out of the sixth tier of English football, finishing that spring in 20th place out of 24 teams.
This season, Adam Hinchliffe's squad is faring much better. They’re now fighting a much more enjoyable battle for promotion. No one could keep up with Barnet, who racked up over a hundred points, but it was the York club that came in second with 96 points. However, only one direct promotion spot is awarded, so the race for the second ticket is now heating up in the playoffs.
Oldham Athletic
This club can certainly consider itself unlucky: they peaked just as World War I broke out. They only managed to return to the top division in the 1990s—and even then, not for long. After that, their decline was steady, eventually landing them in the fifth tier of English football. Last season, even there, they only managed to squeeze into the top ten.
This season, under Micky Mellon's guidance, Oldham made a dramatic improvement. They finished the regular season with a shaky run, winning just two of their last seven matches. Yet they still finished fourth and kicked off the playoffs with a resounding 4-0 win over Halifax Town.
Match facts
- York City have won seven of their last eight matches
- The team has scored in every game since late November
- Oldham Athletic have won two in a row
H2H
Back in 2023, Oldham strung together three consecutive wins. But since then, York came out on top—winning away—and both home meetings ended in draws.
York City vs Oldham Athletic prediction
Bookmakers aren’t expecting a close battle here. York have been overdue for a win over this opponent, and I believe that on their own turf, with so much at stake, they’ll get the job done (odds: 1.76).
