York City's youth team live to fight another day in the FA Youth Cup after a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Huddersfield Town at Bootham Crescent last night.

The City teenagers were less than ten minutes away from booking their place in the fourth round of the competition before substitute Danny Clapham grabbed a controversial equaliser for Town.

After relentless second half-pressure from Huddersfield, a previously rigid City rearguard, marshalled superbly throughout by skipper Peter Vasey, were finally stretched by a simple ball over the top.

Left-back Chris Gowen came across to cover but appeared to have his heels clipped by Clapham, who was able to poke the ball past Jon Collinson in the City goal.

It was tough luck on City, who had dominated the first-half to take a deserved lead on 28 minutes thanks to a brilliant solo goal from winger Kieran Darlow.

Picking the ball up inside the City half, Darlow, who savoured first team action at the end of last season, burst past a couple of Huddersfield challenges before playing a neat one-two with Gary Ormston and pushing the ball past Terriers' 'keeper Phil Senior.

But for Senior, City would have all but killed the tie off after a barnstorming first-half showing.

Scott Emmerson was unlucky to see his clever turn and shot tipped around the post by Senior, who also stood firm to repel Marc Salvati's stinging drive and got down well to deny Darlow a second-goal from a well-worked free-kick.

Huddersfield, who had only briefly flickered in the first-half, came out a side reborn after the break and would have grabbed an equaliser just minutes after the restart but for some more penalty heroics from Collinson.

The City 'keeper, who saved two spot-kicks in the second-round tie with Darlington, pulled off another fine save, down low to his left, to deny Joe Washington's sweetly struck penalty.

It seemed City's luck was in as Collinson pulled-off two more top class saves and the clock ticked down for the Terriers.

But just when City appeared to have weathered the storm their defences were finally breached by Clapham to force a replay at Town's McAlpine Stadium next Thursday, December 14, kick-off 7pm.

dave.stanford@ycp.co.uk