A DREADFUL penalty shoot-out saw York City knocked out of the North Riding Senior Cup semi-finals at Scarborough Athletic.

Skipper Jordan Burrow saw his spot kick saved, while Alex Harris and Joe Tait both cleared the crossbar with terrible attempts as the Minstermen lost 3-0 on penalties after the score had been deadlocked at 0-0 following 90 minutes.

Scarborough trio James Walshaw, Wayne Brooksby and Ross Killock all held their nerve from 12 yards to fire the hosts into a final meeting with either Middlesbrough under-23s or Marske.

The Minstermen kicked off the game with a team of outfield players who have all played first-team football this season, including five – David Ferguson, Adriano Moke, Scott Burgess, Alex Kempster and Burrow – from the side that started Saturday’s 1-0 National League North win at Leamington.

Reserve keeper Ryan Whitley, meanwhile, took over in goal from Adam Bartlett.

Scarborough included former City pair Michael Coulson and David Merris in their first XI and it was the Evo-Stik League premier division hosts who created the better first-half openings with Luke Dean seeing a 25-yard half-volley bounce wide just before the quarter-hour mark.

Whitley was then forced into the first save of the night when he kept out Brooksby’s effort from an unfavourable angle and the youth-team graduate went on to safely gather Coulson’s follow-up attempt.

On 32 minutes, Whitley was again tested and responded brilliantly to push Walshaw’s firm 15-yard drive around his left-hand upright after the ex-Harrogate Town striker had outmuscled Nathan Dyer following a long punt forward by Seadogs keeper Tommy Taylor.

The Minstermen’s first shot of the night - and only effort of the first half - came two minutes before the break when Burgess sent Harris raiding forward through the right channel, but the Scotsman blasted into the sidenetting.

City upped the tempo after the restart with Kempster’s header from an inswinging Ferguson free kick cleared off the line by home defender Kevin Burgess.

After Coulson had worryingly gone down in a heap and limped gingerly off with the assistance of two Scarborough officials, Harris intercepted a dangerous square ball, played by Jamie Forrester inside his own half, but the ex-Hibernian midfielder lifted a woeful edge-of-the-box effort well over.

Kempster’s glancing header also missed the target from another Ferguson centre, before Scarborough’s first opportunity of the second period saw Walshaw head over from a perfectly-delivered free kick into the box by sub James Cadman.

On 70 minutes, Tait headed over from a Josh Law free kick whilst, at the other end, Brooksby blasted in, but the whistle had gone for handball before he fired at Whitley’s goal.

A curling Ferguson corner, meanwhile, was grabbed under his own crossbar by Taylor.

Walshaw also headed wide after Bailey Gooda’s right-wing cross cleared Whitley and, on 88 minutes, Dyer’s long ball out of defence picked out Harris, but he was deceived by a peculiar bounce on the 3G pitch before shooting wide from 20 yards, sending the tie into penalties.

Scarborough: Taylor, Johnson (Gooda, 68), Killock, Burgess (Davie, 87), Merris, Valentine, Dean, Forrester, Brooksby, Walshaw, Coulson (Cadman, 57). Subs not used: Morgan, Annan.

City: Whitley, Dyer, Tait, Bradbury, Ferguson, Burgess, Law, Moke (Henderson, 73), Harris, Burrow, Kempster. Subs not used: Rogerson, Harrison, Jebson-King, Teale.

Attendance: 1,608