Stoke City: Pre-match stats for Stoke's FA Cup clash with York City

PREVIOUS MEETING

September 6, 2000 – League Cup

STOKE CITY 0

YORK CITY 0

A BIT of a nothing tie, because Stoke had won the first leg 5-1 at York to render this return at the Britannia somewhat academic.

Gudjon Thordarson, setting out on his first full season in English football, declined to rest too many players, as the likes of Graham Kavanagh, Bjarni Gudjonsson and Tony Dorigo were wheeled out to ensure no mishaps.

Stoke progressed through the next two rounds as well against Charlton and Barnsley, but bowed out in the fourth round, following a narrow 8-0 defeat at home to eventual winners Liverpool.

FORM GUIDE

Stoke City: LDLLL

York City: WWDWW

WHO WE'D LIKE TO SIGN

Richard Brodie: His 15 league goals in 19 starts and three sub appearances is just the kind of ratio that would do Stoke right now.

WHO TO BOO

Martin Foyle: He would expect nothing less than a few chants of "Vale reject", but let's keep it friendly.

MAN IN THE MIDDLE

Mike Jones (Chester): His reputation was left severely deflated by Sunderland's "beach ball" winner against Liverpool in October.

PROBABLE TEAMS

Stoke City: Simonsen, Griffin, Collins, Abdoulaye Faye, Higginbotham, Lawrence, Whelan, Whitehead, Pugh, Sidibe, Fuller.

York City: Ingham, Parslow, Meredith, McGurk, Graham, Lawless, Mackin, Barrett, Carruthers, Rankine, Brodie.

PREDICTION

Liam Lawrence's late strike settles it, but only after an early York goal is chalked out after deviating off an inflatable oatcake.