The men’s seconds never really seemed up for their clash with their white rose counterparts, being outclassed by a slick Lancaster unit with stand-out forwards who exploited the slow York defence.
However, on a slow pitch it was Jacob Tapper with the first half chance of the game, firing high and wide on the half volley after Elliot Rous-Ross worked the channels well.
Gradually Lancaster grew into the game and had a couple of shots which flashed wide of Luke Bradley’s goal. Eventually they took the lead, and what a superb goal it was. Simon Castle, Lancaster’s stand-out player, took a long ball down on his right foot, flicked it over the York defender before sending a rasping left footed half-volley into the net.
They extended the lead soon after, a corner put right under Bradley’s crossbar, where the ball was nodded in from point blank range. York did not have their first corner until the half hour mark, and their first real chance came when James Offord found himself through, but his attempted lob only found the keeper’s arms.
2-0 at half time, and stern words from captain Stu Dunk should have sparked his dejected team into life. James Briers came on for Offord and Jon Gill was pushed back into a holding role, but soon after the re-start, Lancaster extended the lead, a through ball down the side being met by the striker who deftly chipped the on-rushing Bradley.
Soon afterwards three became four, a ball over the top put the Lancaster striker one on one with Bradley, who was powerless to prevent his opponent chipping him, then tapping into an empty net from a yard out.
With the tie completely beyond doubt, Lancaster took their foot off the gas a little, and York nearly grabbed a consolation when a misdirected header from a defender had the goalkeeper scrambling as it went just over the bar.
Luke Bradley made a terrific one on one save, which sparked a small period of decent play from the men in yellow; firstly James Briers met a Matt Seed free kick in the box, but it sailed just wide. Then a James Gutteridge run and ball in was inviting, but Rous-Ross and Briers had a communication breakdown in the box.
Soon the score was 5-0 though, York failing to clear their lines before the Lancaster left back fired a low drive from the edge of the box, which beat Bradley at his near post.
Scant consolation was finally rewarded to York with a few minutes left, when Gutteridge finished smartly into the top corner inside the box after a spell of pressure on the Lancaster goal. However, the final score ended 5-1, the combination of poor defending and classy opposition putting paid to York’s hopes of gaining the two points on offer.
Captain Stu Dunk was annoyed with his side, saying “we were up against a strong side today, especially in attack, but we did not produce a good enough performance on the day.”