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Match Report: Cambridge United 1-2 York City |
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By Max Benson
It is difficult to overstate how important that win could be for York City. Nerves are frayed and fingernails may be considerably shorter, but fighting spirit and a never say die attitude proved to be enough on the day for the Minstermen.
A bullet from Michael Rankine and a Richard Brodie penalty in the first half have sent City into the money-spinning Third Round of The FA Cup for the first time since dropping out of the football league. The real heroes are the back four, though, who held firm under heavy pressure for much of a gripping game.
The home side started well and looked nothing like a team that had gone two goals behind in each of their previous two home games. Dan Gleeson had a go from close range on twelve minutes and Alex Lawless was the man to thank for City, clattering the ball behind for a corner.
Gleeson was on hand to deny City their first shot on target at the other end in the 20th minute. He cleared from deep inside his own area after Brodie twisted and turned before supplying the centre as Rankine slipped before he could add the finishing touch.
But the home side kept pressing. The impressive Courtney Pitt broke free on the left and whipped a cross in that the stretching Chris Holroyd could only divert over the bar from close range.
They may have been on the back foot but, to an extent, the Minstermen were soaking up the pressure well. A point proved when Crow wastefully belted over from 25 yards after some patient build up play.
Brodie managed City’s first effort on target just after half an hour. The Geordie front man wrestled free of his marker but was falling to the ground as he struck his shot too close to Danny Potter from the edge of the box.
But for all their defending it was City who took the lead, and what a goal it was. On 37 minutes Rankine strode forward inside the Cambridge half, looked up, gathered himself, and rocketed his shot magnificently into the top right hand corner from all of 25 yards.
And just a couple of minutes later it was two. Brodie held the ball up on the edge of the area before being hauled down by Robbie Willmott. Referee Rushton had a close inspection of the exact location before rightly deciding it was just inside the box and pointing to the penalty spot.
Only one man was ever going to take it and Brodie stepped up to drive home with style and confidence, sending Potter the wrong way.
A change of ends at half time failed to change the pattern of the game. The home side continued to press as Willmott in particular gave James Meredith problems down the Cambridge right.
Sam Ives almost tested Michael Ingham ten minutes after the break, drilling his effort narrowly wide from the edge of the area after a corner was only half cleared by the Minstermen.
Cambridge were increasingly committing bodies forward and built pressure effectively as the half went on. Martin Foyle’s men were reduced to long clearances upfield which Brodie and Rankine battled gamely, but largely unsuccessfully, to latch on to.
Goal scoring chances were mounting as well. David McGurk, who was again holding things together excellently at the back, deflected a strong shot behind for a corner half way through the second half.
Moments later, Meredith was forced into last ditch action as he blocked a point blank range effort behind for yet another home corner as City clung on desperately to their two goal advantage.
Pitt was next in line for a go at Ingham’s goal as he cut in from the right and forced the Northern Irishman into a smart save from 20 yards out.
Willmott then went some way to justifying his lurid blue boots with an equally dazzling run down the left. The young winger drove forward, cut into the middle and clipped his shot from range over Ingham and his crossbar.
It was becoming a complete backs’ to the wall job for City who were desperately seeking for any kind of relief. When that moment came, though, Brodie was for once unable to capitalise. Having been played onside and with the defence statuesque, he tried to go round Potter but saw his poked shot dribble agonizingly wide.
The U’s finally got a well deserved goal back in the 83rd minute and it was nearly as good as Rankine’s opener. Anthony Tonkin found space outside the box and lashed a shot that clattered into the right hand post before flying back across goal and into the opposite side netting to give Martin Ling’s side a way back into the contest.
If City’s fantastic, vociferous army of 800 travelling fans weren’t nervous before, they were now and the final stages were at times painful to watch from a City perspective.
But, inspired by a superb back four, the Minstermen clung on for a victory that could prove hugely important for everyone concerned with the club as they join the likes of Manchester United, Arsenal, and Accrington Stanley in the Third Round Draw.
Line-Ups
York City (4-4-2) – Ingham, Parslow, McGurk, Graham, Meredith, Lawless, Barrett (Ferrell 90+2), Mackin, Carruthers, Brodie, Rankine (Gash 87)
Subs Not Used – Mimms, Smith, Gall, Berry, McWilliams
Cambridge United (4-4-2) – Potter, Gleeson, Saah, Hatswell, Tonkin, Willmott, Ives (Marriot 80), McAuley, Pitt, Holroyd, Crow
Subs Not Used – Coulson, Parkinson, Farrell, Coakley, Patrick, Walker
Referee – Steve Rushton (Stoke-on-Trent)
Yellow Cards – Ingham (York City) Hatswell, Holroyd (Cambridge United)
Man of the Match – David McGurk
Attendance - 3,505 (799 York)
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Upcoming fixtures at York City FC
24th August - AFC Barrow - 7.45pm KO
28th August - Altrincham 3pm KO
4th September - Rushden & Diamonds 3pm KO
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