League One meets the National League in the FA Cup first round this weekend, as Wycombe Travelers host The city of York at Adams Park Saturday afternoon.

As the Chairboys begin their final knockout campaign at this stage of the competition, Adam HinshelwoodThe team had to fight their way past eighth-placed Biggleswade in qualifying.

Match Preview

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The fact that Wycombe’s last two defeats in all competitions have come in the EFL Trophy and EFL Cup is not a sign of optimism for another knockout competition, but the hosts’ stellar form since being eliminated of this latest tournament certainly does.

The Chairboys gave a good account of themselves in a 2-1 EFL Cup defeat to Champions League contenders Aston Villa last month and have been on the League One warpath ever since , taking 16 points from the last 18 on offer thanks to five wins and a draw in their last six matches.

Leyton Orient traveled to Adams Park last weekend and suffered a comprehensive 3-0 defeat thanks to goals from Fred Onyedinma, Daniel Udoh And Cameron Humphreysa result which allowed second-placed Wycombe to reduce the deficit against leaders Birmingham City.

Matt BloomfieldThe men are now just three points behind the 2011 EFL Cup winners. Ligue 1 tablebut their quest for promotion has now been put on hold for a weekend to avoid a repeat of recent history.

Indeed, Wycombe – who reached the semi-finals in 2000-01 – have been knocked out in the first round of the FA Cup in four of the last six seasons and were beaten in the second round by Morecambe during the 2023-24 campaign .

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The hosts will certainly carry the label of favorites for Saturday’s match, but the FA Cup has never been a competition that follows the script, and equally in-form York City have every reason to believe they could be on the right side of a giant. murder.

Due to their status as a National League side, the Minstermen began their campaign in the final preliminary round, traveling to Bedfordshire to meet eighth-tier Biggleswade and surviving a brief scare to emerge 3-1 winners.

That cup success preceded a near-flawless end to October for York City, who beat Ebbsfleet United 4-0, conquered Barnet 3-1 and beat Halifax Town 2-1 in their last three league matches to open a advances by one point. on Forest Green Rovers at the top of the National League standings.

A captivating four-way title fight between York, Forest Green, Barnet and Gateshead has already materialized, but Hinshelwood’s men now pause the EFL push in favor of a bid to reach second FA Cup round for the second year in a row.

The Minstermen’s best performance in the competition was also a semi-final appearance in 1955, but none of their last four clashes against Wycombe ended in victory, and since 1999 they have not won the Chairboy territory.

Wycombe Wanderers form (all competitions):

York City FA Cup form:

York City form (all competitions):

Team News

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Wycombe’s triumph over Leyton Orient was not a perfect afternoon for Bloomfield as captain. Jack Grimmer was sent off after 29 minutes due to a head knock, although it didn’t appear to be serious.

Nonetheless, the Chairboys skipper is likely to be left out of the side as Bloomfield shuffles his pack, and the accommodation boss will also have a midfielder. Josh Scowen returning from a one-match suspension.

However, the veteran striker Sam Vokes is still on the treatment table, as is Ryan Tafazolli And Brandon Hanlaneven if the latter gains playing time behind closed doors after his ACL injury.

As for York City, 25-year-old central defender Darragh O’Connor is expected to miss a few more weeks with a groin injury, but the Minstermen emerged from their win over Halifax unscathed.

Malachi Fagan-Walcott And Ollie Pearce both found the net in injury time in that triumph, and the latter also scored twice in the win over Biggleswade, confirming his status as the visitors’ danger man.

Wycombe Wanderers possible starting line-up:
George; Skura, Low, Taylor, Harvie; Lubala, butcher, Leahy, Humphreys; Koné, Kodua

Possible York City starting lineup:
Male; Fallowfield, Batty, Howe, Fagan-Walcott; Felix, Hunting; Thomas, Armstrong, Nathaniel-George; Pearce

We say: Wycombe Wanderers 2-1 York City

The chains should come off for a York City side who have nothing to lose on Saturday, and the Minstermen have been in fine form in the National League, so Wycombe’s backline is unlikely to emerge unblemished.

However, even a second-tier Chairboys team should avoid an embarrassing exit at the hands of the non-championship leaders, even if their victory might not be entirely convincing.

For data analysis of most likely outcomes, scores and more for this match, please click here.

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