JORDAN Burrow’s brace and a Jake Wright goal saw York City defeat St Ives Town 3-0 to book their place in the FA Cup’s fourth qualifying round.

The Minstermen made hard work of a first half in which Wright scored the only goal on nine minutes.

But the second period was a more professional affair with Burrow finishing off the tie soon after the break following two well-taken finishes.

City had earlier survived an eighth-minute scare when Alex Harris failed to track Robbie Parker’s run, allowing the Saints midfielder to send in a cross that saw Jarvis Wilson clear the crossbar with a free header.

But, from the resulting goal kick, the hosts forged in front.

Burrow helped on Adam Bartlett’s long kick down the middle of the pitch to release Wright for a free run on goal.

The former Harrogate Town striker went on to finish with composure, curling his shot inside Sam Wilson’s left-hand upright.

Moments later, Burrow’s header lacked the power and direction to trouble Wilson, before the Cambridgeshire visitors missed another excellent opportunity to get on the scoresheet.

Parker’s curling free kick from the right picked out Danny Kelly completely alone but the former Barnet striker could only guide his eight-yard effort wide.

Midway through the half, Wilson saved at his near post from Burrow after Wright’s cushioned header from David Ferguson’s left-wing cross and, just before the half-hour mark, Simon Heslop drilled a 15-yard shot against the away keeper’s right-hand post after the City midfielder had seized on Owen Wallis’ weak clearance.

At the other end, Ben Baker charged clear through the right channel, but sliced wide of Bartlett’s near post under pressure from Joe Tait, who made way for Russ Penn shortly afterwards due to injury.

A stretching Hamza Bencherif then headed well off target from Harris’ corner, while the half ended with an off-balance Baker lifting an edge-of-the-box attempt on to the roof of the Longhurst.

The Minstermen started the second half with great purpose, spearheaded by Burrow, who drove into the box to test Wilson from 15 yards early on.

He wasn’t to be denied on 50 minutes, though, when he emphatically met Ferguson’s left-wing cross and headed powerfully past Wilson from eight yards.

After 17-year-old debutant Nathan Dyer raided down the right and called Wilson into action at his near post, Burrow then grabbed his second of the game in equally clinical fashion on 56 minutes.

Put in on goal by Harris’ pass, the former Halifax and Gateshead forward rifled a powerful shot into the roof of the away net from ten yards.

Sub Alex Kempster went on to head wide from a Harris corner and Ferguson volleyed high out of the ground, before Jon Parkin failed to make proper contact with an ambitious 30-yard attempt that rolled to Wilson.

Moments later, Parkin missed a much simpler chance, sidefooting wide right in front of goal after meeting Ferguson’s cross on the volley.

The chances continued to come with Harris heading over from another Ferguson centre and Parkin’s chip caught under the crossbar by Wilson.

During a rare second-half foray at the other end, meanwhile, Wallis steered a Jordan Patrick corner well wide on 79 minutes with the latter also shooting narrowly past Bartlett’s left-hand upright at the death.