The great FA Youth Cup adventure continues thanks to the unquenchable spirit of York City's tyros.

Forward force: York City forward James Turley surges forward challenged by West Ham's Stevland Angus. Picture: Steven Bradshaw

Rather than bend to the pedigree of tournament favourites West Ham United, fielding England teenage superstar Joe Cole, City countered with all the strength of a marathon runner to cross the line level pegging with their illustrious visitors last night.

And their sheer desire to survive a grandstand finish ensured a jaunt into the history books. The only club City have never figured at in a competitive match is West Ham's Upton Park.

That blank will be erased in their fifth round replay after the 1-1 thriller lapped up by an appreciative near 1,000-strong crowd at Bootham Crescent.

With five minutes to go knockout heroics were destined for doom, the Hammers leading 1-0. But then came a snorting leveller from right-back Christian Fox to explode a finale of absorbing incident. Deep in stoppage time Fox was harshly penalised for handball. The City hero was sent off, West Ham awarded a penalty.

But there was yet no end to the drama. Micha Carrick's penalty was smartly saved by City goalkeeper John Mohan. Minutes later the crowd erupted at the final whistle to hail a performance of grit the club's seniors could well do to repeat.

In a frantic start West ham showed keener, more measured passing. City, perhaps caught up in the thrill of it all were rushing their passes, wasting possession when good openings beckoned.

Inevitably a lot of focus was on Cole, whose reported weekly wage outstrips that of the entire City youth squad.

He flashed sporadically. One touch spirited him away from a defender, firing a cross begging to be finished off. A feint on the left flank produced another cross, which the alert Mohan plucked off the fringe of Richa Garcia.

But the deadlock was broken in the 28th minute, midfielder Michael Ferrante bending a free-kick at Ferrari speed into the net. Within a minute Hammers' goalkeeper Steve Bywater dashed from his line to block City's top cup marksman James Turley.

He and his workaholic strike partner Michael Dibie never let up striving to unhinge a West Ham defence whose back three were impressive on the ball, but vulnerable in the air.

But for the visitors' quality, typified by Cole's vision and ability to gain space in the most confined of areas, they were unable to supress City's growing self-belief. The second-half saw City manufacture the better chances. Skipper Peter Batchelor was unlucky to see a looping header bruise the crossbar, while another angled shot was blocked by a defender.

Batchelor formed a sturdy central cordon with the impressive John Fielding restricting West Ham to plenty of fluid movement, but little to disturb Mohan.

Then for those who may have come to see wonder-Cole they witnessed wonder-goal as Fox let fly from 25 yards a screaming shot from which steam rose as it rocketed home to set up the finale that will reconvene in history later this month.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.