YORK City’s players were warned not to over-indulge on hotel food during their overnight stay in Wiltshire, but it was hosts Swindon who made a meal of their FA Cup victory at the County Ground.

Bacon and eggs were off the menu for the Minstermen, who have been serial under-achievers ever since their horrific plunge out of the Football League in 2016 led to consecutive relegations.

But, for one Saturday on Remembrance Weekend, City’s long-suffering supporters were at least given a reminder of what their club should and, hopefully, could be again, with a rousing Cup tie against a Swindon side currently plying their trade two tiers higher than their National League North visitors.

The Minstermen’s travelling faithful certainly provided their team with Football League-standard vocal backing throughout a contest in which the visiting players also competed on a level playing field for significant periods.

Such standards must now be maintained if those same fans are not to be left feeling cheated by a side that had lost three games in eight days at their regionalised level going into the County Ground first-round clash.

With Joe Davis and Alex Bray making their debuts, Lewis Hawkins just his second start and further signings expected, though, the make-up of City’s squad is now changing, and manager Sam Collins will be hoping such additions can ensure this performance is not just another false dawn as he embarks on a permanent mission to reverse the club’s fortunes.

The Minstermen certainly showed character to respond after a difficult start that had seen the prominent Scott Twine open the scoring after just 12 minutes.

Just before the break, David Ferguson levelled the scores with his second goal of the season and home boss Phil Brown will have heaved a huge sigh of relief when Steven Alzante grabbed a 76th-minute winner as the visitors looking worthy of a replay and home supporters were growing increasingly restless.

Earlier, a Keshi Anderson 30-yard free kick was punched away dangerously by Adam Bartlett, but Adriano Moke won the loose ball in the away penalty box.

Swindon then forged in front following their next attack as Ferguson failed to cut out Jermaine McGlashan’s low cross into the six-yard box from the right byline and Twine neatly flicked the ball in off the far post with his heel.

Teenager Twine went on to force Bartlett into a smart parry with a 20-yard drive after City had been caught napping at a throw-in.

Great skill by Twine then had the away defence looking as befuddled as motorists trying to negotiate the nearby infamous Magic Roundabout, as he flicked the ball up in the air, only for his volley to hit the outside of Bartlett’s right-hand post.

Twine, whose goal had been his first in ten senior outings for Swindon, also tried his luck with a 35-yard attempt that missed the target.

But City eventually settled and, on 27 minutes, went close to an equaliser with their first opportunity of the afternoon when Davis headed a Josh Law corner from the right towards goal and Jordan Burrow used his thigh to direct the ball narrowly wide.

At the other end, Dion Conroy curled well wide from 20 yards, but Bartlett needed to make a flying fingertip save to keep out Anderson’s header after an Ellis Iandolo corner.

After James Dunne’s edge-of-the-box volley finished high and wide, however, City restored parity on 43 minutes.

Teenager Nathan Dyer, playing in a right-sided attacking role, sent in an inviting cross to the far post, where Ferguson and Burrow had both charged to outnumber Conroy.

Burrow’s subsequent header was saved by former Tottenham and Liverpool reserve Lawrence Vigouroux, but Ferguson followed up to sweep home.

Clearly encouraged by the goal, the visitors displayed greater belief at the start of the second period with Kallum Griffiths’ 25-yard half-volley well held by Vigouroux.

After Elijah Adebayo had headed off target and Twine hit the roof of the stand from the edge of the box, Burrow then warmed Vigouroux’s hands with a firm shot from a narrow angle and Dyer was inches wide after rising high to meet Ferguson’s left-wing cross to the far post just past the hour mark.

At the other end, the home side were resorting to hopeful, long-range attempts with Luke Woolfenden rifling over and Iandolo brushing the sidenetting from a free kick.

Bartlett was required to make a smart save with his outstretched leg after Adebayo had broke through the right channel, but there were howls of derision from Robins fans after Conroy became the latest home player to smack the roof of the stand from distance. Swindon’s players deserve credit for sticking to their task, though, with McGlashan going close from a diving header and Alzate narrowly missing Bartlett’s top-right corner from 20 yards.

It proved a sighter for the on-loan Brighton midfielder as he steered past Bartlett from eight yards following the slightest of nicks off Davis after Anderson had burst past a tiring Bray down the right.

The latter was subsequently substituted, as Collins sent on Jon Parkin and Macaulay Langstaff with the aim of rescuing the tie.

After Anderson had blazed over from seven yards when the ball ricocheted fortunately to him off Davis, the on-loan Port Vale defender then headed wide from an Alex Harris corner, while Langstaff found the sidenetting from 20 yards.

Alzate later dragged wide in stoppage time and, while the Minstermen’s fourth consecutive defeat might have equalled their worst sequence since March 2016, this performance had restored some pride for away supporters who afforded their team an ovation for their efforts at the final whistle.

City ratings

Adam Bartlett 8

Josh Law 7

Joe Davis 8

Sean Newton 8

David Ferguson 8

Kallum Griffiths 7

Lewis Hawkins 7

Nathan Dyer 8

Adriano Moke 7

Alex Bray 7

Jordan Burrow 8

Substitutes: Alex Harris 7 – busy (for Law, 60), Jon Parkin (for Dyer, 79), Macaulay Langstaff (for Bray, 79).

Subs not used: Reiss Harrison, Hamza Bencherif, Ryan Whitley.

Star man: Burrow – kept all of Swindon’s three defenders occupied with his endeavour in tough lone central-striker role

Swindon: Lawrence Vigouroux, Luke Woolfenden, Sid Nelson, Dion Conroy, Jermaine McGlashan (Kyle Knoyle, 88), Steven Alzate, James Dunne, Scott Twine, Ellis Iandolo, Elijah Adebayo, Keshi Anderson.

Subs not used: Luke McCormick, Matt Taylor, Oliver Lancashire, Martin Smith, Jak McCourt, Jordan Young.

Swindon star man: Twine – chiefly responsible for hosts’ flying start

Referee: Carl Brook 8/10 – sensibly lenient as he kept cards in his pocket

Booked: None

Sent off: None

Attendance: 3,744

Shots on target: Swindon 7, City 4

Shots off target: Swindon 14, City 4

Corners: Swindon 5, City 3

Fouls conceded: Swindon 8, City 14

Offside: Swindon 2, City 3