The Minstermen shook the footballing world, with a 3-0 win at Old Trafford that stunned Manchester United in the first leg of the Coca-Cola Cup Second Round.
Following on from our first win of the season, a lucky 1-0 triumph against Swansea days earlier, manager Alan Little made a single change to the starting eleven.
Scott Jordan came in for striker Rob Matthews as the one replacement.
For the home side, Alex Ferguson opted for six personnel alterations to the team that had comfortably beaten Bolton Wanderers 3-0 in the Premier League.
Household names such as David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, and Phil Neville all started, while Pat McGibbon notably came in for his United debut.
The Red Devils got the game going, a match-up they thought was only going to swing one way.
It didn’t take long for the first chance to fall, and in fact, it fell for York City.
A long free-kick forward from Tony Barras was aimed towards the wing, and a couple of headers later, it was Paul Barnes’ job to lay the ball off to Scott Jordan, who hit it viciously first time from outside the area, but he could only watch his effort sail wide.
Yet again, moments later, a free-kick lifted into the danger area almost caused big problems for United, with Barnes using his chest for control, before lashing a shot astray of the target.
Set-pieces seemed to be the best way for the Minstermen to take control of this contest – the next free-kick opportunity was threatening, right outside the box. It was Nigel Pepper who stepped up, and powered it through the wall but in the end, just wide of the upright.
David Beckham’s first real involvement in the attacking phase of the game came when the hosts forced a first save out of Dean Kiely.
The England international played a deep teasing cross in from the right, and eventually it dropped for veteran striker Bryan McClair, whose header had to be tipped over the top.
The opening goal of the game arrived in the 24th minute, and it found its way into the net no one expected it to.
Neville was dispossessed by a strong Graeme Murty challenge on halfway, and the latter fed in Barnes, who picked it up 25 yards from goal, turned, and rifled in a superb shot into the bottom corner, to edge City in front.
As you can imagine, it was absolute delirium in the away stand at the opposite end of the field.
Of course, being the clear favourites as the home side, Man United were keen to put things right before the half-time whistle sounded, and tried to do so through Ryan Giggs, but his rising effort from well out was never going to find the target.
So, incredibly, York City led the football giants at the break – it was all so far, very, very good.
Just six minutes into the second half, Andy McMillian pinged a great ball over the top to put Barnes through, but an unsuccessful last-ditch tackle from debutant Pat McGibbon earned him a red card and cost his new side a penalty kick.
Who else but Barnes to strike it? And he did, very well, sending the goalkeeper the wrong way and into the bottom right corner, doubling the advantage in front of all those travelling fans.
Two minutes later, City had a free-kick on the right-hand side, midway into the United half. Pepper looped it in, and what should have been an easy catch for Kevin Pilkington became a third goal in the game, with Tony Barras racing in to steal the header and power it home.
It really should have been four and a Barnes hat-trick; however, the linesman was quick to flag offside after the experienced forward had been played through and he had smashed it into the top corner.
As the game plodded on with the Minstermen three up, the man in the middle began to give away more cards, so there was a bit of cautiousness going on, but not for City’s Paul Atkin, whose antics of kicking the ball away resulted in him being sent off.
That didn’t change too much in the grand scheme of events, though. The closest Man United would come in the final knockings was with McClair bursting through and managing to hit the side-netting from a minuscule angle.
And that would be all for a simply incredible night at Old Trafford, one of the best days in York City history.
The story wasn’t just done there, though – the second leg at Bootham Crescent awaited a couple of weeks later..
Manchester United: Pilkington, Parker, Irwin, McGibbon, Pallister (C), P. Neville (Cooke 46′), Davies (Bruce 58′), Beckham, Sharpe, McClair, Giggs.
Subs not used: Tomlinson.
York City: Kiely, McMillan, Tutill (C), Barras, Hall, Williams, Pepper, Jordan, Murty, Peverell (Baker 67′), Barnes (Atkin 89′).
Subs not used: Warrington.
Attendance: 29,049
