York win shoot-out after Bradford City’s late blow is in vain

BOOTHAM CRESCENT’S days may be numbered, but the old ground can still throw up a cup classic.
Bradford City's Tony McMahon slides in on York City's James Berrett (Picture: Bruce Rollinson).Bradford City's Tony McMahon slides in on York City's James Berrett (Picture: Bruce Rollinson).
Bradford City's Tony McMahon slides in on York City's James Berrett (Picture: Bruce Rollinson).

And, considering Bradford City’s heroics in knockout football last year, an upset too as York City last night prevailed in the most dramatic of circumstances.

Two hours of pulsating football were unable to separate the two Yorkshire rivals, meaning the tie had to be settled via penalties.

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Bradford, who had won their previous nine shoot-outs, then proceeded to miss twice from the spot through Tony McMahon and Christopher Routis.

Jake Hyde also saw his own penalty saved for York, but it was the League Two side who triumphed thanks to Keith Lowe, Jake Hyde, Reece Thompson and Josh Carson holding their nerves.

It meant a happy end to a night that had seen the Minstermen come within seconds of winning in normal time only for James Hanson to seemingly break home hearts.

York, however, would not be denied a first victory in the League Cup since seeing off Port Vale over two legs in August, 1997, prompting wild scenes of celebration at a ground that the club is set to leave midway through next season.

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A tie that had a little bit of everything had actually started slowly, which was perhaps understandable considering both teams had been left chastened by poor opening day defeats.

Bradford did much of the pressing in the first half and deservedly led at the break courtesy of a beautifully-worked goal on 21 minutes.

In a move that had clearly been honed on the training ground, Christopher Routis peeled away from a crowd of players stood around the penalty spot as Alan Sheehan ran up to take the set-piece.

No one in a York shirt was sufficiently awake to the threat, meaning as the ball headed towards the back of the area the French midfielder was stood all on his own and his acrobatic volleyed finish gave Scott Flinders no chance in the home goal.

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Sheehan and Routis almost repeated the trick just before the break, the midfielder again being found in sufficient space to this time side-foot an effort that flew just an inch or two past a post.

So far, so routine for a team that had enjoyed such a stunning season of Cup football in 2014-15.

Everything changed, however, four minutes after the restart courtesy of a hugely controversial call by referee Mark Haywood.

As Reece Thompson fell to the ground and the ball ran dead, the award of a goal-kick seemed certain. Haywood, though, had other ideas as he pointed to the spot after indicating that Gary Liddle had nudged the York striker to the floor.

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It was a decision that had even the home fans in a crowd of 4,201 chuckling, but Luke Summerfield duly sent Ben Williams the wrong way from the spot.

Suddenly, the tie was alive as play raged from one end to the other as both teams poured forward.

Steven Davies missed a great chance for Bradford, while Thompson did the same at the other end after a raking pass from Summerfield had caused panic in the visitors’ defence.

.It was a let-off for Bradford and one they seemed set to capitalise upon when David Tutonda recklessly dived in on Davies to leave Hayward pointing to the spot for a second time.

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Following Billy Clarke’s lame miss from 12 yards at Swindon four days earlier, spot-kick duties fell to Sheehan but he could only fire into the massed ranks of 2,000 visiting fans behind Flinders’s goal.

York’s response was impressive, as James Berrett marked his debut with an exquisite free-kick that gave Williams no chance.

With just five minutes remaining, that appeared to be it only for Hanson to rescue Bradford with an equaliser deep into stoppage time.

The celebrations in not only the away end but also the away dugout told their own story.

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Once into extra-time, the pace remained frantic as Hanson headed over for Bradford and Jake Hyde fired against a post for the home side.

There was then one last scare for Bradford, as Thompson poked a Tutonda cross into the net only for the linesman’s flag to indicate he had been offside.

That meant penalties and the unusual sight of home fans using the lights on their mobile phones to try to put off the visitors.

Whether it was a factor is a moot point, but Carson’s cool finish meant an end to the Bantams’ superiority in shoot-outs as York claimed a place in tomorrow’s second-round draw.

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York City: Flinders; Lowe, Winfield, Zubar; McCoy, Summerfield (Carson 98), Penn, Berrett, Tutonda; Oliver (Hyde 91), Thompson. Substitutes (not used: McCombe, Nolan, Straker, Ingham, Godfrey.

Bradford City: Williams; McMahon, McArdle, N Clarke, Sheehan; Anderson (Morris 61), Routis, Liddle, Marshall; James (B Clarke 65), Davies (Hanson 79). Substitutes (not used): Knott, Leigh, Motley-Henry, Cracknell.

Referee: M Haywood (West Yorkshire).