COUNTY 0 YORK CITY 2

(FA Trophy final, Wembley)

NEWPORT County’s season was encapsulated in 90 heartbreaking minutes on Saturday as the Exiles saw their Wembley dream dashed by ruthless York City.

It seemed written in the stars for the Exiles to triumph after earning a place in the FA Trophy final against all the odds, meeting the Minstermen in the hundredth match at the new Wembley in County’s centenary year.

The M4 became the Amber Army expressway as the Spytty Park faithful made a first ever pilgrimage to English football’s spiritual home, an approximated 11,800 Newportians and exiled Exiles helping to produce a fantastic atmosphere for non-league football’s premier cup contest.

Even the expected and eye-rolling booing of the English national anthem was muted as County’s supporters did the city proud with a display of Welsh hwyl to match anything Cardiff or Swansea have produced in the past 12 months.

For a fifth-tier club to take a five-figure following to London in the midst of a recession emphasises the potential for success in the city and for so long at Wembley it seemed that the upset was on, that County could lift the FA Trophy.

Manager Justin Edinburgh produced the mother of all surprises in his team selection, blooding 17-year old Lee Evans from the start as the Wales under-18 skipper made just his fourth appearance of the campaign in a packed midfield.

But the biggest surprise of all was to play Lee Minsull in an advanced role ahead of Sam Foley, Romone Rose and Nat Jarvis as the spearhead of the County attack and they caught York cold.

The play-off finalists are the best passing side in the division but looked second best in the first period, County pressing high and with superb tempo as they knocked York out of their stride, creating the better chances. The Exiles should have been ahead at the interval and their failure to capitalise when the key chances arrived cost them dearly, as has so often been the case this term.

County should definitely have been ahead within 10 minutes, Michael Ingham saving smartly from Rose on two minutes before the moment that will haunt Exiles fans for years arrived.

A long ball brilliantly controlled and flicked-on by Jarvis sent Rose into the clear with only Ingham to beat but his shot lacked power and conviction when he had all the time in the world to advance and the chance was gone.

Nevertheless County’s gameplan was working fantastically with Minshull a menace and York out of their stride, Ismail Yakubu heading wide on 14 minutes before David Pipe’s vociferous appeal for a penalty was waved away.

After all the melodrama it was Glyn Thompson who took his place in goal for Newport and he was helpless to do a thing when Patrick McLaughlin’s shot deflected off Max Porter and wrong-footed him, but it dropped just wide.

That was very much an effort in isolation from York and County came close twice more before the break, Jarvis’ fierce drive flying wide as both Minshull and Foley were within a whisker of deflecting it goalbound.

Only a long range effort from former County man Jon Challinor would test Thompson and he was again equal to the challenge.

There was little to concern boss Edinburgh until after the break when York were dominant, passing with more cohesion and controlling the game. It would be hard to deny that, over the 90 minutes, they were indeed worthy winners.

Jason Walker uncharacteristically missed a good chance on the hour as County slipped deeper and deeper despite holding a great line throughout the first period.

However, as they tried to regroup they were caught by a clever pass over the top by Ashley Chambers and failed to catch Matty Blair offside. And he fully capitalised, flicking the ball cleverly over the onrushing Thompson who was damned if he did, damned if he didn’t in terms of coming to try and clear the ball.

Boss Edinburgh sent for Jake Harris and Elliott Buchanan from the bench and went for broke but that suited York who punished County on the break, Chambers’ fine work giving rampaging full back Lanre Oyebanjo a tap-in.

County were dispirited but their supporters ensured they didn’t wilt and die at 2-0, Yakubu hitting the post and Gary Warren the roof of the net as time betrayed them and the final whistle blew.

York finished 36 points ahead of Newport this season in the Conference, but you’d have never known that following an absorbing contest where one side were rewarded and another punished for being clinical and wasteful respectively.

At the third time of asking York were victorious at Wembley and few would bet against them repeating the trick in six days.

And for County’s fans there is the consolation that it’s unlikely the Exiles will have to wait another hundred years to visit Wembley. The aim really should be to ‘do a York.’

County: Thompson, Pipe, Hughes, Warren, Yakubu, Evans, Minshull, Porter (Knights 79), Foley, Rose (Buchanan 68), Jarvis (Harris 68).

Subs not used: Swan, Rodgers.

Booked: Porter (42)

York City: Ingham, Oyebanjo, Meredith, Smith, Parslow, Walker (Reed 90), Chambers (Moke 89), Blair, Challinor, McLaughlin (Fyfield 81), Gibson

Subs not used: Musselwhite, Potts. Booked: Smith (21)

Attendance: 19,844