YORK City boss Russ Wilcox still firmly believes his team will progress to the second round of the FA Cup after AFC Wimbledon forced a replay at Bootham Crescent.

Andy Frampton’s 21st-minute equaliser cancelled out Jake Hyde’s early opener for the Minstermen in a closely contested clash, meaning both teams will go into the hat for tomorrow’s second round draw, which will be televised live on BBC2 at 7pm.

Despite the Dons now having home advantage when the two teams meet again a week on Tuesday, Wilcox reckons his side’s recent form on the road should give cause for encouragement.

He said: “We are still in the hat and that’s the key thing. We’ve got a long trip for the replay but we will deal with that when it comes along and will go there very confident after our last two away performances.

“We have picked up four points and should have had six from those games and believe we can get through to the second round, so the excitement of the FA Cup is still there. We might have only wanted one result from Saturday’s tie, whereas Wimbledon would always have been happy with two outcomes but, sometimes, teams can think the job is done, when they go away and get a replay. But it’s not.”

Striker Deon Burton is unlikely to play any part in the Kingsmeadow clash having suffered a knee injury against the Dons and he is now expected to be sidelined for the remainder of his one-month loan stay from Scunthorpe.

John McCombe also limped out of the action, with Wilcox adding: “We picked up a couple of injuries to key players. We’re hoping John McCombe isn’t too bad because it was a bit of a kick and a twist but Deon’s injury doesn’t look good.

“We will know more with time but he’s very disappointed because he’s come here to play games and help York City. People have seen what he’s about and what he can bring to the group and the biggest disappointment is he knows his days are numbered.

“That sounds awful, but it’s fact. He’s only got a year or two left, so he’s determined to play as much as he can until he’s 40 and he’s in great shape.

“We don’t know how long he will be out for, but he knows his body well and the signs don’t look good. We know it won’t be a one-week job already.”

McCombe’s injury saw new, on-loan signing Stephane Zubar given his City debut as a 27th-minute substitute and Wilcox was pleased with the Guadeloupe international’s display.

“I thought he did well because, having done it myself as a player, it’s difficult to come on as a sub when you’re a centre-half,” the City boss reasoned. “He was also making his debut and had only met the lads an hour-and-a-half before the game so, with all that in mind, he was sound and solid.”

At the other end of the pitch, meanwhile, Wilcox implored his team to be more ruthless as they failed to score more than a single goal in a game for an eighth consecutive match.

“I think there’s a little bit of fear when we are playing at home,” he pointed out. “We sat back a bit after going ahead, instead of getting on the front foot and scoring that second goal.

“We’ve got to address that because we seemed to drop ten yards deeper rather than playing five yards further up the pitch, but there was no fear in the second half. Wimbledon didn’t have a shot on our goal or a corner and we just needed that bit of luck in front of goal.

“We had three or four chances to get the ball in the net when their keeper made a great save off Wes Fletcher and there was plenty of goalmouth action but we’ve just got to be a bit more clinical.”

Dons keeper James Shea denied Fletcher and Michael Coulson with a brilliant double save late on that prevented City from winning the tie at the first time of asking.

A second Fletcher attempt was then stopped before crossing the line by Shea’s defensive team-mates with Wilcox admitting he could not understand how the ball didn’t hit the back of the net.

“I’ve not seen anything like that before,” he confessed of the extraordinary passage of play. “I think everyone in the crowd and in our dugout was trying to suck or blow the ball over the line and we were all just waiting for it to hit the back of the net, but it didn’t. You have to give Wimbledon credit for that and the keeper made a couple of great saves.

“I thought there might have been a handball in there as well and you need those key moments to go your way. They didn’t, but we’re four games unbeaten now and that breeds confidence.”

Hyde’s third goal of the season also drew praise from Wilcox, who enthused: “It was a terrific goal and I thought he had a good game.

“We’ve not been able to do a lot of work at the training ground with him and Deon and that showed at times when they were both going for the same balls but everything is still a work in progress.”

Hyde’s partnership with Burton represented the fourth different striking combination that Wilcox has fielded in his starting line-ups during five matches at the Bootham Crescent helm.

He then ended the game with another pairing as substitute Fletcher was introduced alongside Hyde following Burton’s injury.

Wilcox reckons such inconsistency in team selection for those attacking places has contributed to a lack of potency, suggesting: “I can understand why we haven’t scored a lot of goals this season because we’ve not had a settled front two.

“During last season’s 17-game unbeaten run, the team was settled and everyone knew their job in the group and that helps greatly.”

City’s Supporters’ Trust, meanwhile, will hold their annual general meeting at the Bootham Crescent Pitchside Bar on Thursday.

It starts at 7.30pm with all Trust members welcome.

Ideas and views on the facilities fans would like to see at the new Community Stadium will be discussed.