In the first half, City attacked the Grosvenor Road end. Mick Astbury being called into early action, diving at the feet of Paul Mariner as the referee blew for offside. At the other end, Walwyn and the rest of the City attack were frequently caught offside, the icy conditions not helping. Consequently, chances were rare. From one, Gary Ford shot wide after good work by Martin Butler. City's best chance of the half came after Keith Walwyn went down the right wing, Alan Pearce, unmarked at the back post was undecided whether to shoot or head when the ball came across. He stooped, and headed weakly wide.

At the other end, Arsenal's best chance came from a Kenny Sansom cross, Alan Hay managing to head the ball away with Paul Mariner waiting, unmarked, at the far post, (John MacPhail was laid injured on the ground), with a wide open goal beckoning.

The second half saw the temperature plunge and the pitch became even more icy. Mick Astbury made one fine save when Tony Woodcock ran free. At the other end, Martin Butler was running at defenders, keeping his feet while all around him were falling over. One run resulted in him shooting over the bar, another ended in a cross which Viv Anderson desperately cleared just as Keith Walwyn was ready to strike.

Soon after, Walwyn went close again. From Hay's lobbed pass, he ran clear into the penalty area and lobbed John Lukic, as the ball dropped agonisingly towards the undefended goal, Tommy Caton managed to head clear from underneath the cross bar. The strength and guile of Walwyn and Butler was causing Arsenal's defence much trouble, the better chances were now all going City's way. Butler shot over, Walwyn's cross narrowly evaded Keith Houchen. Arsenal substituted Charlie Nicholas, bringing on Ian Allinson in an attempt to stem the flow of City attacks. It didn't work. City continued to press forward with only 10 minutes left.

City continued to attack, but the game seemed to be heading for a 0-0 draw. And a Highbury replay. City won a throw in just inside Arsenal's half. Gary Ford left it for Steve Senior who throw the ball down the touchline towards Keith Walwyn, the ball broke for Martin Butler who charged off towards the corner flag. Defenders moved back, Keith Houchen lead the City forwards towards the area, as Butler crossed, Steve Williams' determined challenge on Houchen resulted in him going down. The referee, Don Shaw had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.

Williams' challenge had begun outside the area but continued as the players entered the area. Houchen finally going down just a couple of yards inside the box, in a position which was not really threatening. Besides Williams, Arsenal had other defenders back in position.

The fouled Houchen took the penalty instead of John MacPhail, the usual penalty taker. Keith Houchen took a classic penalty, placing it low into the extreme left hand corner of the goal as Lukic dived the other way.

From the kick off, Arsenal pumped a high ball forward, it bounced around City's penalty area pinball fashion before breaking to an Arsenal player whose shot felled Steve Williams. City were able to relieve the pressure and win a corner, their first of match. As Lukic collected the ball from Hay's corner, the referee blew full time.

Another chapter in City's FA Cup history had been written.

"Anyone, except York at York", is the FA Cup draw Bill Shankly once wished for during Liverpool's hey day. It was the 5th round draw in 1985.

Before the Liverpool game, City had unfinished business to conclude. A home won over Doncaster saw City progress in the Freight Rover Trophy. The game being memorable for the way Dale Banton and Martin Butler linked up in attack and for a thoroughly inept performance by Doncaster's rookie keeper. Keith Walwyn missed the game through injury. Increasingly, the treatment he was receiving up front was taking its toil.

Against Wigan on February 2, he took a fearful battering, mainly at the hands of Steve Walsh, but still managed to help set up goals for Gary Ford and Alan Pearce. Eventually, Walsh was to receive his marching orders. The crowd that day was 10,948, the biggest home league crowd of the season, and bigger than the Arsenal game, as people received cup tie vouchers as they entered the ground. Not everyone was happy.

They included those who:-

• didn't get a voucher as they entered,
• did but couldn't exchange it for a cup tie ticket as they quickly sold out,
• lived outside York and had to endure an extra trip to the ground to get their ticket
• missed the Wigan (in most cases the first time they had missed a game, home or away, for ages).

So strong was the sense of injustice felt by some, that chairman Michael Sinclair offered a full page explanation in the club programme as to the reasons behind City's ticket allocation scheme.

Whatever, the build up passed quickly. BBC, ITV and The Leeds Evening Post were just some of the outside media concerns who jumped on the bandwagon. The big game came, the gates opened early. I joined the queue about 12:45, it snaked through the car park, all along Grosvenor Road and round the corner.

Next Issue: "Anyone except York at York".