King's Lynn Town's long unbeaten run was shattered as they went down 3-0 at a York City side which showed all the credentials that have made them favourites for promotion.
Trailing by a single goal at half-time, Lynn - unbeaten in 12 league and cup games - looked like they were capable of getting back on level terms, but when York added a seconds on 71 minutes it took the wind out of their sails. The third exaggerated the difference between the sides on the day - but there will be other teams who will suffer more than Lynn did.
York had less possession than they are used to at Bootham Crescent, but Lynn's refusal to park the bus and, instead, come out looking for goals, perhaps played into their hands. They had the room to play and the cutting edge to execute their plan.
Culverhouse was without central defender Ryan Fryatt, who injured his knee in the midweek FA Cup replay win over Alfreton. Striker Michael Gash started, having missed that game with an ankle injury, but didn't look 100pc fit, while former York player Ryan Jarvis didn't come out for the second half because of a groin problem.
There was a certain irony behind York's goals; the man behind them was the excellent David Ferguson, creator of the first and third and scorer of the second. Ferguson is a left-back who looks like he is itching to prove himself as a centre-forward: his attacking runs stretched Lynn to the limits - just like Frazer Blake-Tracy's had done for Ian Culverhouse's team last summer. Blake-Tracy left for a pro career with Peterborough United - but it is players like Ferguson that litter this York side.
He teed up Andy Bond for the opener before slipping in the second at the front post and then his corner found the unmarked Joe Tait whose header sealed the points.
York: Jameson, Dyer, Ferguson, Newton, Spratt, Tait, Moke, McLaughlin, Burrow, Bond (Green 75), Kempster. Subs: Durrell, McFarlane, King, Whitley. Goals: Bond 22, Ferguson 71, Tait 85
King's Lynn Town: Street, Jones, Fox, Jarvis (Barrows 46), Smith, McAuley, Clunan (Richards 63), Payne, Gash, Marriott, Henderson (Carey 63). Subs not used: Kelly, Stewart.
Attendance: 3,082 (274 Lynn fans)
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