BATTLING York City will need to beat this season's giantkillers Grimsby Town to continued their FA Cup adventure.

Hopes of a money-spinning tie were cruelly sunk when yesterday's draw paired them with the First Division strugglers.

Cash-strapped City had been hoping to land one of the Premiership big-boys and a bumper pay-day after knocking out Second Division Reading 2-0 at Bootham Crescent on Saturday.

But they can expected to play in front of a crowd of only around 6,000 at Blundell Park.

Lennie Lawrence's side tasted glory in the Worthington Cup this season when they won 2-1 at Liverpool in extra time, former Everton striker Phil Jeavons netting a spectacular late winner.

That proved to be the biggest shock of the domestic season but the boot will be on the other foot this time as City seek to add Grimsby to their previous scalps, Reading and Colchester.

City's assistant manager Adie Shaw said: "Grimsby have been the giantkillers this season but now we will be looking to be the giantkillers.

"They have a good stadium and play some good football so it should be a cracking cup-tie."

Links between the two clubs are Lee Nogan and Alan Pouton. City striker Nogan has missed the last two games with a calf injury but has been handed an extra incentive to get fit for the tie which will be played on Saturday, January 5.

Pouton, now a regular in the Mariners' midfield, left City for Grimsby in 1999.

City were still basking in the cup spotlight today as jubilant boss Terry Dolan hailed his heroic Minstermen after their terrific 2-0 triumph over high-flying Reading.

"It was a magnificent performance by every member of the team and it was thoroughly deserved," said Dolan.

"It has come against a team who quite easily in nine months time could be in Division One. We had to stop them from playing and get at them and get amongst them and we did exactly that."

It is only the third time in 16 seasons that City have reached the third round of football's greatest knock-out competition.

The last time was just last season when, ironically, City knocked Reading out of the Cup after a replay at the Madejski Stadium to go through.

A delighted Dolan said: "We are in round three for the second time in two years so that is a credit to everybody.

"We have got the third round the hard way by beating Second Division opposition and it is credit to all the players. They have worked very, very hard.

"As everybody will be saying, we need to do that now on a regular basis in the league so maybe we have to approach every game in the league as though we are playing a team from the Second Division and maybe the First."

The win means City have now banked £50,000 in FA Cup prize-money alone - £20,000 from their first round triumph over Colchester and a further £30,000 from Saturday's win.

Should they emerge victorious against Grimsby in round three, City's coffers will be swelled by a further £50,000 to add to the increased gate monies that a cup run brings.

Goal-scoring hero Graham Potter, who had a spell on loan at Reading prior to joining City and bagged the Minstermen's second on Saturday, admitted it was great team performance based on rock-solid foundations.

"We were fantastic, especially in the first-half when we played as well as we have done all season," said Potter.

"We were at it from the start, created chances, looked dangerous going forward and were solid at the back. I thought the defence were fantastic but everybody worked their socks-off."

The Draw: Stockport v Bolton, Wimbledon v Middlesbrough, Watford v Arsenal, Man City v Swindon, Halifax or Stoke v Everton, Wycombe v Fulham, Charlton v Blackpool, Sheff Utd v Nottm Forest, Leicester v Mansfield, Chesterfield or Southend v Tranmere, Derby v Plymouth or Bristol R, Brighton v Preston, Grimsby v YORK CITY, Rotherham v Southampton, Burnley v Canvey Island, Millwall v Scunthorpe, Cheltenham v Oldham, Bradford, Norwich v Chelsea, Macclesfield v West Ham, Exeter or Dagenham & Redbridge v Ipswich, Portsmouth v Leyton Orient, Liverpool v Birmingham, Coventry v Tottenham, Cardiff v Leeds Utd, Barnsley v Blackburn, Sunderland v West Brom, Newcastle v Crystal Palace, Aston Villa v Manchester Utd, Crewe v Sheff Wed, Wolves v Gillingham

Matches will be played on the weekend of January 5, 6 and 7.

Updated: 11:52 Monday, December 10, 2001