YORK City are free to concentrate on climbing away from the lower reaches of the Football League following a 3-1 FA Cup replay defeat at AFC Wimbledon.

The Minstermen missed out on a second round trip to Wycombe next month after Matt Tubbs’ brace, following Jack Smith’s 71st-minute equaliser, turned the tables following Wes Fletcher’s spectacular early goal.

Jake Hyde had a hat-trick of excellent second-half chances to keep his team in the competition, but it was the predatory Tubbs who finished the tie off in the first minute of stoppage time after Michael Ingham had vacated his goal to try and get on the end of a Michael Coulson corner.

City made one change to the side that started Saturday’s 1-0 home defeat to Oxford as fit-again Ingham returned between the sticks with on-loan shot-stopper Alex Cisak refused permission to play in the Cup by parent club Burnley.

The hosts had the first chance of the night when Adebayo Akinfenwa headed off target at the far post following a George Francomb corner.

But it was City who took the lead in sensational style on five minutes.

After Lewis Montrose won possession in midfield, the ball bounced up invitingly in front of Fletcher 30 yards from goal.

The City striker then struck the ball full on the volley and his spectacular effort dipped over shell-shocked home keeper James Shea.

Coulson went on to try his luck from an acute angle but was denied when Shea improvised to keep the ball out with his legs.

At the other end, Sean Rigg’s curling free kick only required a routine save from Ingham while Marvin McCoy, perhaps inspired by Fletcher, went close with an ambitious long-range effort that deflected wide off Adam Barrett’s head.

Coulson also fired over a free kick before Akinfenwa’s looping header, from a Francomb corner, landed on the top of Ingham’s netting.

Wimbledon’s best chance of the half saw Dannie Bulman’s fierce 25-yard drive flash narrowly wide with Ingham beaten on 39 minutes.

Neal Ardley’s men applied the pressure early in the second period with a lunging Alan Bennett effort going wide from Francomb’s corner.

A Barratt header also bounced off target before Shea made a vital save on 56 minutes.

Fletcher sent strike partner Hyde clear through the inside right channel but his well-struck, rising ten-yard drive was parried away by the Dons net-minder.

Centre-back Stephane Zubar then headed wide before Bennett volleyed over from 20 yards for the home side and Frankie Sutherland missed the target with a free header following substitute Ade Azeez’s raid down the left.

But it was Smith who levelled the tie, bursting through the left channel and firing across Ingham into his bottom corner from 12 yards.

Moments later, Hyde had an excellent opportunity to restore City’s lead after being played through on goal by Montrose but he sidefooted tamely at Shea.

Instead, it was Wimbledon who forged in front on 81 minutes when Akinfenwa released Tubbs through the right channel and he fired across Ingham into the bottom corner from ten yards.

Hyde went on to have further chances, firing over from an angle and seeing a header saved after excellent work by Femi Ilesanmi down the left.

But the Dons secured their passage into the next round in the first minute of stoppage time when Ingham charged upfield for a flag kick, which was poorly delivered by Coulson and allowed Sammy Moore to find Tubbs on the break, who completed the formality of finding the net for a second time in the evening.

Match facts

York City 1 (Fletcher 5), Wimbledon 3 (Smith 71, Tubbs 81, 90)

Michael Ingham 6, Marvin McCoy 6, Keith Lowe 7, Stephane Zubar 7, STAR MAN: Femi Ilesanmi 8, Lindon Meikle 6, Lewis Montrose 7, Russell Penn 6, Michael Coulson 7, Jake Hyde 6, Wes Fletcher 7.

Subs: Josh Carson (for Fletcher 64, 6), Tom Platt (for Montrose 78). Not used: Jason Mooney, John McCombe, Luke Summerfield, Ryan Jarvis, Ben Hirst.

Wimbledon

James Shea, Barry Fuller, Alan Bennett, Adam Barrett, Jack Smith, George Francomb (Adebayo Azeez 61), Dannie Bulman, Frankie Sutherland, Sean Rigg (Sammy Moore 61), Adebayo Akinfenwa, Matt Tubbs.

Subs not used: Joe McDonnell, Callum Kennedy, Tom Beere, Jake Nicholson, George Oakley.

Referee: Peter Bankes (Merseyside).

Bookings: Rigg 27, Akinfenwa 32, Moore 90.

Sendings-off: None.

Attendance: 2,048 (218 from York).

Shots on target: Dons 4, City 6.

Shots off target: Dons 8, City 4.

Corners: Dons 10, City 6.

Fouls conceded: Dons 13, City 14.

Offsides: Dons 5, City 0.