by Garry Clarke Pictures Mark Percy
WARRINGTON Rylands 1906 exited the Emirates FA Cup with their heads held high in front of a restricted capacity crowd and the BBC cameras as they lost 1-0 to York City as Storm Alex battered Gorsey Lane.
Casual viewers unfamiliar with the two teams would have struggled to tell which of them was the North West Counties League team and which plied their trade three steps higher in the National League North.
An open entertaining evenly contested game, which while highly competitive was played in good spirit, play constantly switched from end to end. The first goal scoring opportunity fell to York’s Scott Barrow but his shot was deflected wide.
Rylands started to gain control of the biggest game in their history creating several goal scoring chances, which bar for some desperate defending on another day would have seen them build up a comfortable lead.
York goalkeeper Pete Jameson beat away a Kane Drummond volley in the 7th minute; the ball fell to Paul Shanley who beat the keeper but saw his shot cleared off the line. Moments later a Kane Drummond cross found Shanley, whose shot looped over the bar, while Jameson saved well to keep out a Drummond shot.
Having weathered the Rylands storm, York almost took the lead in the 28th minute. Sean Newton’s free-kick was parried by Rylands goalkeeper Graeme McCall into the path of Olly Dyson who scrapped the top of the crossbar when it seemed easier to score.
The visitors finished the first half stronger taking the lead in the 40th minute when Newton fired a free-kick from the edge of the area into the bottom corner of the net.
Playing into the driving rain which lashed the Gorsey Lane pitch, Rylands regained control of the game after the restart laying siege to the York goal with the Yorkshire men relying on counter-attacks to relieve the pressure.
Five minutes into the second half Shanley controlled a cross on his chest, turning he volleyed the ball wide, whilst moments later McCall did well to cut out a dangerous low cross from Barrow. In a frantic opening period, Warren Gerrard found Ste Milne but Milne’s effort was narrowly off target.
In the 51st minute whipped a low cross into the penalty area from the right-wing, as Mile was about to shoot he was felled from behind by Newton prompting referee Richard Holmes to award a penalty. Hero of the previous rounds penalty shoot out win, Scarisbrick sent Jameson the wrong way with his spot-kick but the ball struck the post and bounced clear.
A minute later Jameson diverted a Milne shot wide for a corner, while his opposite number pulled off a brilliant diving one-handed save to keep out a Cassidy header. Cassidy and Matty Brown fired shots over Rylands bar before Jameson tipped a Drummond shot over York’s bar.
As the game entered its final ten minutes, Jameson saved at the feet of Drummond as the lively Rylands attacker broke through the York defence. Jameson’s long clearance found Cassidy who touched the ball past the advancing McCall and inches wide of the post.
As stoppage time loomed Freddie Potter met a corner with a powerful header that flashed the wrong side of the post before Holmes’ whistle brought an end to Rylands history-making FA Cup campaign.
They exited the competition with their heads held high with every reason to be proud of their performance both on and off the field in staging a well organized event in these difficult times.
Attention now turns to their league programme which is scheduled to open on Wednesday with a 7.00 pm kick-off away at Northwich Victoria, whilst next Saturday the Blues welcome Goole to Gorsey Lane in the 2nd qualifying round of the FA Vase, kick-off 3pm.
Post match thoughts from our manager @davidmcnabb82 after today’s loss to York. @warringtonworld @bbcmerseysport pic.twitter.com/gz9rtF2fAI
— Warrington Rylands FC (@RylandsFC) October 3, 2020
Post match interview with our very own @CharlieDoyle_ on today’s historic FA Cup tie with York today.@warringtonworld @bbcmerseysport pic.twitter.com/2Rpnn2u0PR
— Warrington Rylands FC (@RylandsFC) October 3, 2020
