Image by Tom Poole
The Minstermen won 1-0 away from home at Bloomfields, the home of Needham Market, in their Emirates FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round replay on Tuesday night.
The result means City will face Chester FC in the First Round of the Emirates FA Cup.
Neal Ardley made two changes to the side which drew 0-0 at home against Needham Market at the weekend, with Quevin Castro and Kai Kennedy coming into the starting XI.
Hosts Needham Market won the first corner of the game inside the opening minute, however the resulting set-piece was dealt with in the end by City.
City earnt back-to-back corners five minutes later, the first one initially dealt with before the second eventually fall to left-back Adam Crookes who hooked a tame shot wide.
The Minstermen nearly forced the opener in the 14th minute after midfielder Dan Batty spotted the run of Ryan Fallowfield, who drove inwards and hit hard however the Needham Market defender was straight to the line to block it out for a corner.
Quevin Castro then dragged an effort wide three minutes later after working space in the midfield, as the Minstermen continued to press.
Needham Market thought they had the breakthrough in the 28th minute when Luke Ingram slipped Jamie McGrath through the middle, who skipped past Rory Watson and rolled the ball into the net before the assistant linesman raised his flag.
Defender Tyler Cordner then looked to force an attack through a driving run, picking out Dipo Akinyemi who couldn’t quite lay off Castro. The ball then moved outwards to winger Kai Kennedy who beat his man and slid the ball across the area, but the Minstermen couldn’t capitalise on the pressure.
Batty opened the second half with a strike from the edge of the area, as City continued to try and force an opener in an end-to-end affair.
Goalkeeper Watson produced two fine saves in the second half to keep the deadlock sealed, initially getting down low in the 64th minute and then stumping a thundering shot which was sent to the inside post in the 70th minute.
Akinyemi squandered a golden opportunity in the 78th minute when he had the Needham Market defence, and goalkeeper, back tracking through his sidesteps before lashing his chance over the bar.
Substitute Lenell John-Lewis then struck the post in the 86th minute out of nothing, turning and hitting a shot which had Marcus Garnham rooted to the spot.
Needham Market continued to cause the Minstermen problems, a deep free-kick from Kyle Hammond was met in the area by a Marketman who pushed it over the bar.
York eventually struck a winner, and the opener, in the 90+3rd minute through Cordner after City’s first corner of the half went through to the defender at the back post who struck hard on his right foot.
The Minstermen place their support to Needham Marker for the remainder of the 2023/24, and thanks for their hospitality on the evening.
NEEDHAM MARKET: Garnham, Dye, Smith, Hammond, K. Morphew ©, D. Morphew, Ingram, Williams, Lay, Allen, McGrath (65’ Page).
UNUSED SUBS: Fraser, Podd, Chambers, Letts, Harris, Crosthwaite.
YORK CITY: Watson, Fallowfield ©, Crookes, Cordner, Akinyemi (90+3′ Howe), Castro (59’ John-Lewis), Batty, Burgess (59’ Siziba), Kennedy, Woodyard, Smith.
UNUSED SUBS: Whitley, McLaughlin, Howe, Hancox.
ATTENDANCE: TBC.