Harriers bowed out of the FA Trophy after an epic penalty shoot-out at Bootham Crescent, Justin Richards missing the crucial 26th penalty leaving the score 13-12 to The Minstermen.

In bitterly cold conditions on a rock-hard pitch both sides found it difficult to play any decent football but both made a valiant effort.  The home team enjoyed the best of the possession in the early stages and were first to show when Harriers failed to clear a corner from the left and Richard Brodie blasted his shot over the bar at the far post.

On 27 minutes Harriers had a good chance when Martin Brittain's cross from the right was knocked down by Matt Barnes-Homer into the path of Justin Richards who fired wide of the far post.  Shortly afterwards Barnes-Homer should have given Harriers the lead when he raced clear through the inside-right channel only to drag his shot wide of the far post.  At the other end City went close to taking the lead when Adam Boyes was left unmarked at the far post to head wide across the face of goal.

Former Harrier Simon Russell should have given York the lead ten minutes into the second half; a cross from the right was headed back at the far post by Brodie to Russell who headed tamely over the bar.  The breakthrough came for the home team on 73 minutes; Simon Rusk crossed from the right to Daniel McBreen who headed against the post but was quickest to react and fire in the rebound.  The lead lasted just five minutes; Darryl Knights slipped the ball through the inside-left channel to Richards who turned well and curled a shot beyond the reach of Michael Ingham and into the top corner from 25 yards out.

The game went into extra time and both teams continued to carve out goal-scoring chances; Adam Bartlett blocked an effort from McBreen who then crossed to the far post where Brodie headed wide with the goal gaping in front of him.  Moments later a poor ball from Mark Creighton let in Boyes who shot straight at Bartlett and won a corner.

At the other end Harriers' best chance came via a free-kick by Martin Brittain that beat the wall and was tipped around the post by Ingham for a corner.  In the second period of extra time Knights opened up the home defence with a pass for Stefan Moore who, after a good turn, shot wide across goal.  In stoppage time a Brittain free-kick rolled short to Knights who fired wide from 25 yards out.

The inevitable penalty shoot-out arrived and remarkably both sides managed to score from their first five kicks to send it to sudden death.  The goals kept flying in and every player in each team stepped up and scored making the score 11-11.  Back to the start and City scored their first two but Harriers' second player to take his second penalty, Richards, saw his kick saved by Ingham diving away to his left to finally win the game for City 13-12 on penalties.