Spirited York City bow out of the FA Cup to Wigan Athletic

The LNER Community Stadium welcomed BBC cameras for Friday night football, with York turning out in their numbers after selling over 5500 tickets in the home end.

But despite the efforts of the City players, it wasn’t enough to overcome former winners of the competition, Wigan.

Stephen Humphrys goal on the hour mark was the only difference between the two sides, capitalising on a mistake from Tyler Cordner before rounding David Stockdale and comfortably tucking home.

It was a chance for York to reach the third round of the FA Cup for the first time since 2010, after the Minstermen defeated both Needham Market and Chester in their prior rounds to be drawn a home tie with Wigan.

Wigan on the other hand had secured a 2-0 victory away to Exeter City in early November to reach the second round, and will now have a chance to play a Premier League side after tonight’s result.

Despite the result, Neal Ardley will be pleased with the efforts of his side after a battling performance which levelled Wigan’s display at times, matching former winners of the competition and a side currently competing two levels higher than the Minstermen.

Ardley named four changes from the York side that secured a 1-1 draw with Maidenhead United on Saturday, with the cup-tied Will Davies and George Sykes-Kenworthy absent from the squad.

Olly Green and Maziar Kouhyar also dropped to the bench in place of Olly Dyson and Paddy McLaughlin, whilst David Stockdale slotted between the sticks with Thierry Latty-Fairweather helping to form the backline.

Wigan manager Shaun Malone had assured the travelling supporters that he would be fielding a strong side, with the likes of Callum Lang, Stephen Humphrys and Jordan Jones starting for the Ticks.

Ardley had admitted before kick-off that he relished the underdog tag, and was quick to prove that his side weren’t going to sit in for the match.

After McLaughlin earned City a corner kick inside the first minute, before Scott Burgess looked to carve out a chance from a tight angle, only to see his cross harmlessly float onto the roof of the net.

York then found their way into the box with Latty-Fairweather finding himself facing Sam Tickle between the Wigan sticks, but some impressive defending kept the full-back out.

Dyson looked to maintain the pressure with an effort from the edge of the box, but to no prevail.

Stockdale would be a busy man for the Minstermen in the first-half, but wasn’t tested with Martial Godo’s low strike, which was Wigan’s first attempt of the night.

Humphrys has proven himself as a profilic goalscorer in recent years, but failed to beat Stockdale from close-range after finding space in behind, with the City shot-stopper making an impressive stop to gather the striker’s effort.

But the forward was a clear threat to the Minstermen, again receiving possession in behind the defence, before Stockdale managed to parry his effort into the path of Luke Daley, who scrambled clear.

Winger Lang was then denied after rounding Stockdale, before the goalkeeper recovered to prevent a shot from a tight angle.

Wigan headed into the break with the better of the chances, something which the Tykes carried into the second period.

A short pass from a free-kick saw Jones find Humphrys again, with his bending strike narrowly falling wide of the target from 25-yards out.

But York were unable to keep the scores at bay, with Wigan profiting after a defensive mishap from the Minstermen.

A long ball over the top was misjudged by Tyler Cordner, allowing Humphrys to race in behind again, before coolly rounding Stockdale and slotting the ball into the empty net.

Wigan looked to double their advantage with Baba Adeeko finding space in the centre of the park, driving forward and slamming an effort into the North Stand.

Callum Howe then made an important block to deny Humphrys a second, before Stockdale escaped a controversial decision by the referee, electing to show a yellow card rather than a red to the shot-stopper after handling the ball outside of his box.

York began to grow back into the match and create chances of their own with time running out on them, first being denied a penalty after an alleged handball from a Wigan player in the box.

Kouhyar was introduced from the bench and almost produced the equaliser for Ardley’s side, expertly weaving onto the edge of the box despite Wigan pressure, before bending an effort goalbound which Tickle brilliantly diverted over the bar.

Humphyrs broke and prompted a Wigan counter-attack, with the striker looking to be through on goal, before an exceptional challenge from Fallowfield denied the Ticks a second.

With City back on the attack, Lenell John-Lewis was left cupping his head after meeting a Kouhyar cross at the back post, but somehow headed wide from just five-yards out.

But as York failed to find that needed breakthrough in order to book a replay at the DW Stadium, Humphyrs’ goal was the only difference between the two sides with City bowing out of the FA Cup at the second round.

York’s attention doesn’t turn away from the cup next weekend, with Ardley’s focus switching to the Isuzu FA Trophy with a trip to Nantwich Town on the agenda.

York City: Stockdale 7, Fallowfield 8, Cordner 6, Howe 7, Daley 6 (Siziba 6, 73), Latty-Fairweather 7, Woodyard 7, McLaughlin 6 (Kouhyar 7, 73), Dyson 7, Burgess 7, John-Lewis 6

Subs not used: Watson, Duckworth, Green, Kennedy

Yellow cards: Stockdale (69), Fallowfield (79), Woodyard (90+5)

Oxford City: Tickle, Clare, Rekik, Hughes, Pearce (McHugh, 85), Smith, Adeeko, Godo (Smith, 90+7), Lang (Shaw, 90+3), Humphrys (Magennis, 90+3), Jones (McManaman, 85)

Subs: Watts, Amos, Sze, Stones

Goals: Humphrys (61)

York’s star man: Ryan Fallowfield. A brilliant effort from the full-back who was a constant for City down the right-hand side.

Referee: Thomas Kirk

Attendance:  6613 (1172)

Shots (on target): 3 (2) | 5 (7)

Corners:  4 | 1

Offsides: 0 | 2

Fouls committed: 8 | 4