BUXTON’S Diego De Girolamo returned to York City with a vengeance on Saturday to knock the Minstermen out of the FA Cup first round proper.

The former City loanee was a threat throughout, and deserved his goal - as his side did their 1-0 win at the LNER Community Stadium.

For York’s part, though, it is another case of what could have been as they came nowhere near the quality they showed the Saturday before and missed out on a first second round tie since 2010.

Here are five things we learnt.

1. Normality will take time

City welcomed captain Sean Newton back into the side for the first time since August 21. Played out of position, granted, but his performance showed just how important match time is.

Newton’s lack of match readiness was summed up as he desperately scrambled back to cover Ash Chambers, who had ghosted away from him, in acres of space to receive Josh Granite’s long ball and play in for De Girolamo to score.

Scott Barrow has been out for even longer. City have also learnt they will be missing Michael Duckworth and Michael Woods for more than a month. It will take time for them to get to 100 per cent match-readiness as they get back to fitness.

2. Midfield runs hot and cold

Dominant and dictating against Blyth, the men in the middle were on the back foot from the first whistle against Buxton. City had a small purple patch midway through the first half but much of the game was spent as a timid recovery project, starving Clayton Donaldson of service as Kurt Willoughby toiled out wide to little effect.

3. Gilchrist needs a good run in the team

In more ways than one.

A stop-start campaign for Jason Gilchrist means he has had little game time to show the kind of form that made him such a threat at South Shields and Southport, limited mostly to late substitute appearances.

When he does come on, though, he must show more. Strike partners Mark Beck and Willoughby have endeared themselves to the City fans through their workrate, even if the end product is not always there, but Gilchrist has yet to show that same kind of willing running.

4. Atmosphere at Monks Cross

The Community Stadium hosted its highest attendance yet on Saturday, with 3,791 fans there for the Cup tie. Bolstered by 1,050 travelling fans, there was a good amount of noise.

Regretfully, neither the performance, nor the result matched the backing.

5. City can respond quickly

One of the few blessings of a Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday schedule is that teams do not have long to wait before continuing their good form, or righting wrongs, and there is every chance Jekyll-and-Hyde City can turn it on again at Leamington tomorrow night.