Boss Neal relishes next Ard task

DOUBLE: Lenell John-Lewis

YORK CITY boss Neal Ardley joked the Minstermen have been riding their luck in the FA Cup so much that a great run might be written in the stars!

Ardley’s top-flight side saw off National League North Chester 2-1 in Tuesday night’s replay to reach the second round proper for the first time in 13 years.

Striker Lenell John-Lewis bagged a goal in each half and despite George Glendon halving the deficir, Ardley’s side were able to hold on to set up a home date with Wigan Athletic.

The live TV cameras will be in town for the tie a week Friday and Ardley hopes a big night under the lights can help forge a strong relationship with the fans.

“It will be great,” Ardley told the club’s YouTube channel. “I am really keen on trying to build a good bond with the fans and try to create something. They’ve had a tough time, as we know, and we want to try and create something where they are proud of their team and the effort put in by their team.

“The FA Cup at the moment is as important as trying to get up the league table.

“The way we’ve had to go replay, replay, the way we rode our luck in the Needham Market game at their place and again at times tonight, you never know — maybe we have got a little run in us!”

And Ardley was proud to give the fans some long-awaited FA Cup cheer again with their first win in the proper rounds since 2010-11 when they beat Rotherham and Darlington on their way to a third round meeting with Bolton Wanderers.

“It’s a brilliant stat to be able to give to the fans — I’d love now to be able to give them the opportunity to be in that third round hat which would be immense,” the former Wimbledon, Notts County and Solihull Moors boss said.

“It (Chester) was a tough game, typical FA Cup tie. I thought first half we started brilliantly, we were in control — they had one breakaway, but I thought we were in control. Second half credit to them they had nothing to lose, they played a lot braver, they upped their intensity by 50 per cent and we didn’t.

“We never solved the problems. We became sloppy with the ball and kept turning it over and, in the end, they became more brave because we weren’t causing them a problem.

“When you get the second goal you’re thinking, tie over, let’s get people off, people have been booked, it’s tiring. Then to concede a goal and, at that point, you know it’s going to be the Alamo. Stocky [David Stockdale] has made a great save and we’ve rode our luck. We’ll go back as coaches and look at what we can do better.”