SATURDAY marked the golden anniversary of the day when the cockerels of Tottenham Hotspur had their wings clipped by York City's famous Happy Wanderers team.

However, exactly 50 years on from that momentous occasion, another Cockerill - Woking boss Glenn - left KitKat Crescent crowing as his team enjoyed a fourth consecutive Conference win.

Justin Richards scored a goal at the end of each half to seal victory against a City team who failed to have a second half shot of any description until a weak Lev Yalcin effort in stoppage time.

The service to strikers Andy Bishop and Paul D Robinson in that second period was so poor that, even in his pomp, City's all-time record goalscorer Norman Wilkinson, watching in the stands as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations, would have struggled to have made an impression.

Wilkinson netted twice against the mighty Spurs in the 1955 FA Cup fifth round win and scored 143 times in total for the Minstermen.

But City's modern-day goal exploits leave a lot to be desired.

Gary Bull was the last player to hit a hat-trick back in 1995 and Saturday's match was the 15th from 34 this season in which the KitKat Crescent club have failed to find the net.

Against Woking, creativity from the middle of the park and penetration down the flanks was sadly lacking from the home side's play and will be something new manager Billy McEwan seeks to address in coming weeks.

Two shots on target in a home game is a statistic that City's meticulous boss is also unlikely to accept.

Woking, who played with a fluid formation, were strong opponents although the first half was fairly even.

Gary MacDonald headed over for the visitors from eight yards after a corner from classy former Arsenal midfielder Ian Selley on 11 minutes.

Bishop then missed an excellent chance at the other end moments later.

Teenager Byron Webster pulled the ball back from the byline but a weak effort from City's ten-goal leading marksman rolled gently to Woking 'keeper Shawn Jalal.

On 19 minutes, Jefferson Louis beat Chris Porter to Richards' low cross but steered his shot wide of the near post.

Robinson then sidefooted wide for City after an intricately-executed set-piece involving Darren Dunning, Kevin Donovan and Paul Groves.

The former Newcastle striker also headed over from a 39th-minute Dunning free-kick and saw his smart shot on the turn pushed on to a post by Jalal.

But, in between those efforts, Woking broke the deadlock on 41 minutes.

On-loan Doncaster defender Jon Maloney stretched for, but missed, Karl Murray's through ball and Richards capitalised on the mistake, firing confidently into Porter's bottom left-hand corner.

A dire second half followed in which neither side mustered a goal attempt until the 88th minute when Raphael Nade's header was disallowed after he leant on home substitute Michael Staley.

Stephen Evans then skipped past Staley down the left flank a minute later and delivered an excellent cross for Richards to tap in his second goal.

Yalcin, who had earlier entered the action as a right-winger, missed City's best chance of a consolation, dragging his stoppage time shot wide from ten yards.

City's players left the pitch seconds later to boos from disgruntled supporters exactly 50 years after the Happy Wanderers were carried off the pitch in some of the most exultant scenes ever witnessed at Bootham Crescent.

McEwan hopes to, at least, put a smile back on City supporters' faces but instant success might be a difficult task with promotion hopefuls Exeter City, Barnet and Halifax Town providing the opposition in the club's next four games.

Baptisms of fire don't come much hotter.

York City 0, Woking 2 (Richards 41, 89)

Porter 6, Law 6 (Staley 70, 5), Maloney 6, Groves 8, Smith 6, Donovan 5, Dunning 5, Webster 5 (Yalcin 61, 6), Merris 5, Bishop 5, Paul D Robinson 7.

Subs not used: Stockdale, Paul Robinson, Grant.

Star man: Groves - read the game well again at the back.

Key: 10 - Faultless; 9 - Outstanding; 8 - Excellent; 7 - Good; 6 - Average; 5 - Below par; 4 - Poor; 3 - Dud; 2 - Hopeless; 1 - Retire

Woking: Woking: Jalal, MacDonald, Oliver, Boardman, Jackson (N Smith 76), Murray, Selley, Sharpling, Evans, Louis (Nade 67), Richards (Foyewa, 90). Subs not used: Basso, Gosling.

Yellow cards: Louis 58, Dunning 58, Merris 72, Staley 87, Richards 90.

Red cards: None.

Referee: Ian Nolan (Warrington). Rating: Reasonable.

Attendance: 2,038.

Weather watch: Chilly.

Game breaker: Jalal's save from Robinson's shot on the stroke of half-time. A goal could have led to a more buoyant City display after the break.

Match rating: Promising first half was followed by a poor second period.

Updated: 10:37 Monday, February 21, 2005