York City spurn two-goal lead in FA Trophy defeat at Ashton United

It looked like a job professionally done for the Minstermen at the end of the first half. A Pete Jameson handling error got Ashton on the scoresheet but City were 3-1 up thanks to goals from Olly Dyson, Michael Woods and Jack Redshaw.

At 3-3 come the full-time whistle, it was far less impressive. Ashton, to their credit, came out swinging while City had dropped in intensity and focus.

In the first half, there were a couple of individual mistakes, but they were masked by a consummate team performance and incision in front of goal. There was little of either as the second half kicked off.

There, it seemed, Ashton sensed their chance and the 19-year-old Harvey Macadam's goal geed them right up before Bradley Lynch turned home Louis Almond's cross to force penalties.

Jameson gave York a glimmer of hope in the shoot-out by saving from Millenic Alli but that glimmer was promptly dimmed by Redshaw skying his effort, and near enough extinguished when Paddy McLaughlin struck the crossbar.

Sean Newton and Jake Cassidy thumped home but Ashton progressed 4-2 from the shoot-out.

Steve Watson made three changes to the side that drew with Spennymoor at the weekend. Harry Bunn missed out completely through injury while Kieran Kennedy and Paddy McLaughlin dropped to the bench.

Substitutes on Saturday Owen Gamble and Harry Spratt stepped into the back line. The former was unused against Spennymoor while Spratt replaced McLaughlin in the second half. They flanked centre-backs Sean Newton and Matty Brown, with Robbie Tinkler just in front.

Striker Jake Cassidy returned from suspension to lead the alongside Jack Redshaw, supported by Olly Dyson, Akil Wright and Michael Woods.

Ashton made two changes from their Trophy win over South Shields in the first round. Defender John Lufudu and midfielder Chris Rowney stepped aside for direct replacements Sam Sheridan and Ben Hardcastle.

Goalscorers against Shields Sam Baird and Michael Raynes both made the cut, and the Robins had former York striker Louis Almond on the bench.

After just a few minutes, Cassidy showed York what they had missed, showing strength with his back to his man and keeping attacks alive. It was the Welshman’s knock-down from a Pete Jameson ball forward that teed up Dyson to drive in right-footed the 14th-minute opener.

Five minutes later, it was two. From defending back-to-back corners, Gamble was eventually able to clear long and, after Redshaw picked up keeper Greg Hartley’s poor clearance, he set Dyson away to cross low and Woods to finish from close range, as he had on Saturday.

No sooner had York finished celebrating than the hosts had something of their own to celebrate. Former South Shields striker Millenic Alli drilled towards goal from a very acute angle and Jameson, unpressured, fumbled into his own net.

Redshaw notched his first goal in York City colours in the 25th minute. The ball was played across the pitch from a throw, delivered back in with pace and the striker placed it firmly home first time.

Though the most consequential of defensive errors at the time, Jameson’s was not York’s first, as both Brown and Newton had previously given the ball away with loose passes. The Minstermen had otherwise been, however, largely defensively stout and Gamble had done well to keep pace with Alli, and Spratt alert to Brown’s stray pass, which Ben Hardcastle almost pounced upon.

Newton, Brown and Tinkler imposed themselves well, and Woods and Wright were useful when tracking back. Jameson was alive to snuff out the one time Ashton broke City’s lines in the 20 minutes since they scored, and Wright put in what may have been a vital challenge on John Pritchard as he powered into the box as the break approached.

In the goalless 20 minutes up to half-time, City notched another couple of efforts on goal, with Redshaw miscuing his lob over Hartley and sending it wide. McLaughlin – on for the injured Gamble – saw a lot of the ball in the build-up to Dyson picking the ball up in the area but it was smothered by the keeper.

Ashton enjoyed a good portion of possession towards the end of the period but did not trouble City unduly.

Ten minutes after the restart, Macadam got Ashton to within a goal for the second time. Skipper Michael Brewster found himself in rather too much space and drove at an open York defence before laying off for Macadam to plant beyond Jameson.

Redshaw came close to restoring York’s two-goal lead. He cut in from the right and let loose from outside the penalty area. His shot was deflected but brought down by a deft Dyson touch and he laid off for Redshaw. This time the striker’s drive went just wide of the left-hand upright.

Almond had a chance to make a mark against his former employers and did very well to bring a long ball under his control but dragged his eventually shot wide after making room for himself.

Spratt picked up the game’s first caution for a stern challenge on Brewster on the touchline.

It had been a different City who came out for the restart, appearing slower and less focused. Redshaw, Cassidy and Dyson had combined in various permutations for sniffs of chances, but the Robins’ tails were up and they drew level with 15 minutes to go. Almond drove a low ball across goal and substitute Bradley Lynch tapped in.

A couple of times, York substituted speed for haste and both Cassidy and Newton sent harmless shots from range wide.

Rob Guilfoyle – on for midfielder Wright – had a great chance for York’s fourth in the final minute of the 90 when Dyson cleverly set him up in the area for an effort around the top corner of the six-yard box but his effort was too close to Hartley.

In true number nine style, Cassidy gave away a foul as he tried to bully an aerial ball over the line before the whistle signalled penalties.

Ashton: Hartley, Sheridan (Bembo-Leta 33), Prichard, Brewster, Raynes (Lynch 52), Baird, Hardcastle, Cottrell, Bentham (Almond 57), Macadam, Alli. Subs not used: Tserpes.

Goals: Jameson (OG, 20), Macadam (55), Lynch (76)

Penalties: Almond (scored), Alli (saved), Brewster (scored), Pritchard (scored), Lynch (scored)

York: Jameson 5, Gamble 6 (McLaughlin 5, 41), Brown 6, Newton 6, Spratt 5, Tinkler 5, Wright 5 (Guilfoyle 84), Woods 6, Dyson 6, Redshaw 6, Cassidy 6. Subs not used: Flatters, King, Kennedy, Wollerton, Potts.

Star man: Michael Woods. A good presence across the pitch, from being in the right place for the goal to good work helping out the defence.

Goals: Dyson (14), Woods (19), Redshaw (25)

Yellow cards: Spratt

Penalties: Newton (scored), Redshaw (missed), McLaughlin (missed), Cassidy (scored)

Shots (on target): 6 (3) / 13 (6)

Corners: 2 / 1

Offsides: 2 / 7

Fouls: 8 / 11

Yellow cards: 0 / 1

Referee: Ben Wyatt