Football VAVEL

Shrewsbury Town vs York City: FA Cup First Round Preview, 2022

The Minstermen look to put an upset on the cards, as they travel to League One Shrewsbury in the First Round of the FA Cup.

Shrewsbury Town vs York City: FA Cup First Round Preview, 2022
The Montgomery Waters Meadow will host this FA Cup tie (Photo by Chris Vaughan - CameraSport via Getty Images)
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By Ryan Brookes

A much out-of-form York City side will turn attentions away from the Vanarama National League, and towards the Emirates FA Cup this weekend.

The Minstermen sit 11th in their division, but having not recorded a single win in their last three outings, York will be hoping they can pull off an unlikely shock in the prestigious cup competition to get them back on terms.

After winning promotion last campaign, heaves of players were brought in by John Askey, and there was a clear difference, with the Yorkshire side already having beaten the likes of Bromley, Woking and Maidenhead.

Things have been a little bit different for the fans this time around though, with City only requiring one win (over Bury) to take them through to the First Round Proper, dissimilar to the countless qualifying stages needed in the National League North.

Shrewsbury, alike, have struggled to find a win in any of their last four games, however Salop do have the main advantage, in their League One status.

Town's FA Cup record in recent years has proved a treat, with them being drawn up against Premier League big guns Liverpool twice in the past three.

They will be wishing for yet another magical run, starting on Saturday, at the Montgomery Waters Meadow, where a place in the Second Round is up for grabs.

MK Dons, Fleetwood and Forest Green Rovers are just a few of the clubs that Salop have overcome so far this season, and York City are a name they hope to add to their list of victims soon.

  • Team News

Shrewsbury Town

Key forward Dan Udoh and full-back George Nurse are both ruled out for the season with ACL injuries.

Striker Aiden O'Brien recently suffered a suspected hip injury, whilst disruption in defence sees Julian Dacosta out with what could be a potential groin injury.

The pair aren't likely to feature on Saturday, though no details have been confirmed following scans on Monday.

York City

Full-backs Adam Crookes and Michael Duckworth have been out with long-term injuries since the first couple of games, however the latter is almost match-fit, with manager John Askey reporting that Duckworth is "very, very close", to a return.

The same applies for highly experienced Paddy McLaughlin, who is yet to make an appearance in the National League this season.

AJ Greaves suffered a broken nose in an 'off-the-pitch' situation, and consequently, has been sidelined for the last two games.

It gets worse for The Minstermen, with winger Alex Hurst yet to serve the last of his three-game suspension, following a red card against Aldershot.

Lenell John-LewisCity's top scorer, was forced to come off early in their previous fixture, though there is a good chance that the forward will start against Shrewsbury.

  • Likely Lineups

Shrewsbury Town

Marosi, Pennington, Dunkley, Flanagan, Bennett, Winchester, Leahy, Shipley, Bayliss, Saydee, Street

York City

Ross, Fallowfield, Kouogun, Sanders, Whittle, Hancox, Pybus, Dyson, Kouhyar, John-Lewis, James

  • Key Players

Tom Bayliss

Joining Shrewsbury from Preston North End in the Summer, Bayliss has impressed many Salopians, and will strive to achieve more.

Appearing in every single fixture in League One this season, his 16 appearances have seen the 23-year-old net three times, and he's also racked up the same number of assists.

Despite playing ten games in the FA Cup, with Wigan, Preston and Coventry, Bayliss is in fact yet to score in the world's oldest cup competition - his first appearance in the cup for Salop is one which is likely to bring goals.

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Maziar Kouhyar

York City's skillful winger brings an incredible story with him. The first Afghan to play in Great Britain worked his way up the ranks at Walsall before picking up a career-damaging ACL injury which sent him down to the National League North.

Kouhyar is now on his way back, and has grabbed some big goals on the journey so far. The 24-year-old's strike against Boston last season sealed promotion for The Minstermen. As well as scoring the last goal of the previous campaign, he also slotted home for City's first goal back in the National League.

Arguably of Football League quality, Kouhyar has bagged himself seven assists this term, and also boasts the highest xA (expected assists) in the division - 4.97.

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  • Form Guide

Here, we take a look at how both sides have got on lately.

Shrewsbury Town (last five)

Sat 29 Oct - Portsmouth 1-1 Shrewsbury Town (League One)

Tue 25 Oct - Plymouth Argyle 2-1 Shrewsbury Town (League One)

Sat 22 Oct - Shrewsbury Town 0-1 Charlton Athletic (League One)

Tue 18 Oct - Stockport County 2-1 Shrewsbury Town (Papa John's Trophy)

Sat 15 Oct - Fleetwood Town 0-1 Shrewsbury Town (League One)

 

York City (last five)

Sat 29 Oct - York City 0-2 Southend United (National League)

Tue 25 Oct - York City 1-1 Chesterfield (National League)

Sat 22 Oct - Aldershot Town 2-1 York City (National League)

Sat 15 Oct - Bury AFC 1-2 York City (FA Cup)

Tue 12 Oct - York City 1-1 Dagenham & Redbridge (National League)

  • FA Cup Record

Shrewsbury Town

Shrewsbury have fared relatively well in the FA Cup in recent years. Salop battled through to the Third Round last year, only to be beaten away at Liverpool (who need no introduction), despite taking the lead.

That wasn't the only time that Town met with the Merseyside outfit in the competition though - the two sides clashed at the New Meadow in the 2019/20 season, and incredibly, Shrewsbury fought back from two goals down to secure a replay, away at Anfield, where a 1-0 home win was the eventual outcome.

The furthest stage that Shrewsbury have achieved in the Sixth Round, on two occasions in 1978/79 and 1981/82.

It has been nine years since Salop last failed to advance further than the First Round Proper, with that being a relegation season too.

York City

The recent years of the Emirates FA Cup haven't impressed for York as much as their opponents have.

Last season's First Round qualification gave York City a great chance to advance to the next stage, as they were drawn up against lower league opposition in Buxton. However, in what was one of Steve Watson's last games in charge of City, they were beaten 1-0 at home.

Despite their late history, long-supporting fans may remember the best days of their club, when The Minstermen were defeating the likes of Arsenal and Everton in the cup.

The furthest that York have got in the competition was the semi-final stage, unbelievably - it was back in 1954/55 when they eased past Spurs but were unfortunately beaten in a replay by Newcastle.

The Minstermen last qualified for the Second Round in 2010/11, so a win would be a huge morale booster.

  • Match Details

Where is the match being played?

Montgomery Waters Meadow, better known as the New Meadow and home to Shrewsbury Town since 2007, will be hosting this FA Cup clash.

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What time is the match?

This game will get underway at 3pm on Saturday, given that it wasn't chosen for TV coverage.

How can I watch the match?

Unfortunately, there will be no live television coverage of the game, however both clubs and Jorvik Radio will be providing live updates via Twitter.

You can also listen in through BBC Radio York or BBC Radio Shropshire.

Alternatively, tickets are still available for both home and away fans.