A SEASON-HIGH attendance at the LNER Community Stadium watched York City crash out of the FA Cup at home to lower-league Buxton.

The Bucks, flying high in their division, showed just why with an incisive, well-drilled attacking performance and won the first round proper tie 1-0 thanks to former City loanee Diego De Girolamo's strike six minutes from time.

It was a heart-sinking moment for York, who had had patches of good play but failed to fashion many truly threatening chances. Certainly, Pete Jameson had the more impressive of the saves to make.

The underwhelming York players left the field dejected as another chance to get to the second round for the first time since 2010 passed them by.

Buxton, though, were good value for their win in front of a commendably sizeable travelling support.

For the first time since August, and looking like it, City captain Sean Newton went in on the left of the back four with loanee left-back Mitch Hancox ineligible to play for York in the FA Cup tie.

The other three remained constant, with recognised centre-back Matty Brown partnered by central midfielder Akil Wright, while Sam Fielding started on the right.

There were no personnel changes in the centre of the park, where Paddy McLaughlin continued after last week’s impressive display against Blyth Spartans, nor up top, which featured Mackenzie Heaney, Olly Dyson and Kurt Willoughby in the same cutting-in permutation as last week.

Jason Gilchrist returned to the bench following injury.

Buxton’s biggest change from their side at the weekend was in their management duo. Gary Hayward and Mark Wark left the club during the week, to be replaced by former Curzon Ashton pair Steve Cunningham and Damian Crossley.

Looking to add to his 14 goals leading up to the first round clash was De Girolamo, who led the Buxton line. Ash Chambers, with 10 goals going in to the game, started on the bench but came on to have a hand in the winning goal.

De Girolamo had support from the bright attacking pair Tommy Elliot and Warren Clarke, and was backed up by ex-Football League midfielder Jamie Ward.

Buxton started much the brighter of the sides and cut through a City defence still waking up with surprising ease. Within a minute, De Girolamo had an effort blocked by a sliding Wright following good work from Elliot and Clarke, while Ward – who has not been goal-shy this season – had a fierce drive saved low by Pete Jameson. As if the emphasise York’s sleepiness, the short corner found De Girolamo in acres of space on the corner of the box.

York were working, no doubt about it, but the energy seemed to be coming half a second after it was needed. Playing in the direction of a strong, blustery wind did not do City any favours, and it took a good while for the hosts to properly judge their long balls forward. Even midway through the first half, Newton put a pass straight out after Heaney had misjudged a header.

Fielding played a beautiful pass over the top for Clayton Donaldson but the ball skimmed off the striker’s thigh as York correctly assessed to the need to break out more rapidly but, as the tide started to turn around the half-hour mark, City were able to settle on the ball a bit more. Donaldson forced a corner with a header from a lovely inswinging Heaney cross.

The Bucks remained very much a threat, and their lively overlapping play caused heaps of problems for York. Buxton finished the half on the front foot with a sequence of heart-in-mouth efforts on goal.

First, Clarke came within inches from turning home after Buxton broke with City incensed that a studs-up challenge from Ben Middleton on Dyson had gone unpunished.

Elliot then cut in from the right and thundered a strike towards the top corner, protected by a strong wrist from Jameson, before the keeper punched over a wind-assisted dipping long-range effort from Chris Dawson.

Four minutes after the break came City’s best chance of the game to take the lead. From Dyson’s left-sided free kick, Fielding stooped for a header at the back post and, somehow, keeper Theo Richardson scrambled across and got it away.

Buxton’s darting forward De Girolamo continued to cause trouble for York. He and Elliot made good use of the spaces in between the midfield and defence to fashion a chance for the former City loanee, but nerves struck on the edge of the area and he sliced a decent chance comfortably wide.

He then found himself on the end of a bobbling through ball, which he tried to lift over Jameson – again, wide of the keeper’s right-hand post.

When Fielding lost the ball down the attacking right, Buxton were again quick to get into the gaps and threaten. Wright did enough to make the cross difficult and the follow-up took a deflection for a corner.

City perked up going into the final quarter of an hour as a drop in wind coincided with the introductioun of aerial threat Mark Beck.

But Buxton took the lead with six minutes to go. Substitute Chambers got on the end of a long ball forward in far too much space down the defensive left and got the ball to De Girolamo, who had the time to pick his spot beyond Jameson and drill mercilessly into it.

York: Jameson 7, Fielding 6, Brown 5, Wright 5, Newton 4, Heaney 5, Hopper 4, Dyson 5 (Gilchrist 4, 71), McLaughlin 4, Willoughby 4 (Beck 4, 60), Donaldson 5. Subs not used: Campbell, Haase, Cunningham, Dale, Lancaster.

Star man: Pete Jameson. Made some vital, high-quality saves to keep York in it. Ultimately, he was beaten by a very good strike after his back line let him down.

Buxton: T Richardson, Curley, Fox, Middleton, Granite, Meikle, Ward (Chambers 74), Dawson, De Girolamo, Elliot (Hurst 89), Clarke. Subs not used: Hinds, Dillingham, Houghton, Heath, H Richardson.

Goals: De Girolamo (84)

Referee: Aaron Jackson

Attendance: 3,791 (1,050 away supporters)

Stats for York / Buxton

Shots (on target): 7 (3) / 15 (7)

Corners: 1 / 7

Offsides: 1 / 0

Fouls: 7 / 9