NINE years after last gracing the McCain Stadium Neil Thompson struck to bring former club Scarborough to kneel to their York City arch-rivals.

Thompson, now City's player-coach, kick-started his League career with the Seasiders, with whom he developed a power-laced penchant for thunder-footed strikes.

Back on seaside patrol last night Tommo repeated his accuracy, this time though from the much shorter distance of 12 yards.

His spot-kick past Boro goalkeeper Tony Elliott sealed a 4-3 penalty shoot-out triumph nudging City into the final of the North Riding Senior Cup.

The rivals - connected by the A64 - remained grid-locked in parity after normal and extra time, 1-1 by the end of 90 minutes, 2-2 come the added half-hour.

So then to the 12-yard duel. The hosts were obvious favourites after negotiating a shoot-out ordeal only five days earlier at Bootham Crescent. But City's crackshots prevailed and prospered. They missed one of their allotted five penalties, Boro spurned two.

Next stop then either Whitby or Middlesbrough in the NRSC final, though it was a passage that went from amble to scramble as dominance turned into near defeat.

City always had the edge in class, never better illustrated than by the game's opening goal after just 19 minutes. The Boro defence was dissected ruthlessly, the impressive Richard Cresswell ushering in captain Steve Agnew for a sublime clip over Elliott.

For the rest of the first-half and a large chunk of the second City were imperious, if not quite as incisive. Their only vulnerability was to aerial delivery, Boro guilty of wasting at least three clear headed openings.

The homesters, for whom left-back Paddy Atkinson was a thoughtful influence, only truly troubled the Minstermen in the first 20 minutes after half-time.

They quickened the tempo, swift-moving substitute Ian Milbourne the main menace.

City wavered, but never caved in and regained command forcing Elliott to several stops as Alan Pouton and Steve Agnew teased out openings via fluent passing.

With four minutes remaining Boro countered, the ball flukily cannoning over the line off Mark Tinkler as he collided with goalkeeper Andy Warrington.

Extra time was noteworthy only in its death throes. With a minute to go ex-City youngster Neil Campbell thought he had rammed unkind 'eey-ore' chants down the throats of the City faithful, sweeping home from 15 yards after Warrington parried his first effort.

But almost within earshot of the final whistle substitute Neil Tolson pounced on a low cross - at last - from Rory Prendergast for a leveller. Boro were to pay an even heavier penalty in the resulting Tommo-capped shoot-out.

Scarborough: Elliott, Jackson, Atkinson, Worrall (Russell 68min), Lydiate, Marinkov, Bullimore, Hoyland, Tate (Campbell 46), Brodie, Williams (Milbourne 46). Goals: Tinkler og 86, Campbell 119.York City: Warrington, McMillan, Thompson, Tinkler, Jones, Pouton, Garratt (Hall 102), Agnew, Woods (Rowe 97), Cresswell (Tolson 118), Prendergast. Goals: Agnew 19, Tolson 120.

Referee: Jeff Winter (Stockton on Tees).Attendance: 1,053.

Shoot-out sequence (Boro players first) Bullimore hit 1-0 - Tolson hit 1-1; Hoyland miss 1-1 - Tinkler hit 1-2; Campbell hit 2-2 - Pouton hit 2-3; Milbourne miss 2-3 - Agnew miss 2-3; Marinkov hit 3-3 - Thompson hit 3-4.

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