Battling York City manager Alan Little will home in on the core of defence to banish Bootham Crescent doldrums that snagged a long-awaited FA Cup win.

Against a backdrop of empty seats City striker Richard Cresswell (No 9) glances the ball of target against Enfield

City scratched past Ryman League underdogs Enfield last night by the narrowest of 2-1 margins to seal a second round trip to Division Two rivals Wrexham on December 5.

But the win - City's first for ten games stretching back almost two months - was unconvincing and uninspiring, which was candidly acknowledged by the City manager.

While generous applause was given to vanquished Enfield as they trooped off the field having played the last 30 minutes with ten men once striker John Richardson was sent off, the City manager was again slated by the sparse home crowd.

As he reflected on the only bonus of clinching a place in the second round Little forgave the fans for having a go.

"The supporters have a right to be disappointed. They've not seen us win for such a long while and we have only just scraped by in the FA Cup.

"Whatever we had done we were never going to get any credit from this tie and the important thing is we are through to the next round," Little said.

"But we lacked confidence all the way through. We never passed well and we gave the ball away too much and the reason is because the players feel under so much pressure at home.

"You would not think it was the same team that played so well in the second-half at Stoke. But against Enfield the team have been so out of sorts. They weren't at Stoke, but tonight they were."

Enfield boss Gary Calder paid tribute to his team. He said: "Our lads worked their socks off and showed a lot of character and we were unlucky to go out especially with 10 men."

In a bid to right the hoodoo afflicting the Minstermen on their own patch - last night's win was only their fourth in 1998 out of 21 League and cup attempts - Little said he was sorely missing a commanding defender.

That could mean a dip into the circuit to try to get a player in on loan should lynchpin back-man Tony Barras not be fit for Saturday's visit of Northampton Town.

"That's going to be a beast of a game, because we still need to earn the right to play well at home," he added.

"It's obvious we need a centre-half back, either Tony Barras or a new defender at the club, one who wins clean headers and gets the ball away. There's a chance I might have to get someone in on loan."

Goalscorers Scott Jordan and Richard Cresswell conceded City had made hard work of their first victory since early October.

Said Jordan: "No-one is happy about the performance, but we've got to be glad we are through.

"We played very well at Stoke, especially in the second-half, but we got beat 2-0 and got nothing."

Cresswell, whose intrepid back-heel for his 12th goal of the season proved the winner, was equally downcast at the manner of the victory.

"But we've gone nine games without a win before tonight. Now we have got something we have to build on it for Saturday's game against Northampton. We now have to pick the season up again."

Youth gets its fling tonight as York City reserves travel to Rotherham in their Pontin's League Cup group two match.

The starting line up will, however, feature Neil Tolson and Rory Prendergast who both came off the bench to play in last night's FA Cup replay win over Enfield.

City reserves: Mohan, Fox, Rennison, Reed, Dawson, Hakami, Walters, Bullock, Prendergast, Tolson, Turley. Subs: Irwin, Farley Batchelor, Rowe, Thompson.

Cup crowd the lowest of the low

York City have slumped to an all-time low in their history.

Last night's attendance of 2,131 was the smallest in the club's 69 years' involvement in the FA Cup.

Only three times have gates in the FA Cup at Bootham Crescent fallen below the 3,000 barrier.

The first was in 1930 when only 2,206 souls witnessed a 3-2 second round replay win over Lancashire club Nelson, while 22 years ago almost to the night an attendance of just 2,923 saw the first round replay 4-1 conquest of Dudley Town.

The 2,131 attendance for the visit of Enfield last night represents the lowest at any game at Bootham Crescent for 14 months when a mere 1,555 crowd took in the 2-1 Coca-Cola Cup defeat by Oxford United.

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