It's the 11th December 1954 and the second round of the FA Cup, with York City having a date at non-league minnows Dorchester Town.

Dorchester Town 2 York City 5

After overcoming Midland League Scarborough in the first round of the FA Cup, York City, nicknamed the 'Happy Wanderers' by their proud fans, faced further non-league opposition in the second round when they were handed a trip to Western League Dorchester Town.

For the second successive match the third division club were given a tough test by their lower league opponents. This was the first time that Town had faced a league side in their 75 year history and as a result they were clearly well motivated for the occasion.

This was particularly noticeable during the first half when they produced a superb display, defending stoutly and threatening in attack.

They rocked City on thirty minutes when Curtis shot past keeper Mick Granger, who was once again deputising for the injured Tommy Forgan.

Backed by their travelling fans numbering about 150, the visitors fought back and just before the interval goal-machine Arthur Bottom equalised after being set up by Norman Wilkinson and Billy Hughes.

Dorchester suffered a blow early in the second half when centre-half Cox took a knock.

Following attention he was moved out to the right wing as Town rearranged their line up - there were no such thing as substitutes and sending on a replacement was not an option.

York seized on the opportunity and took a firm hold of the game, crashing in three goals during a ten-minute spell.

Playing a fast, incisive, attacking style they took the lead when Bottom netted, and moments later it was 3-1, with ace marksman Bottom completing his hat-trick.

Club record goalscorer Wilkinson then added a fourth with a trademark header, and though the non-leaguers rallied with Gale scoring from the penalty spot, it was City that added a fifth goal through brilliant outside-left Billy Fenton.

The 'Happy Wanderers' were rewarded for their efforts when they were paired with First Division glamour club Blackpool in the third round.

The game would take place at Bloomfield Road and City's opponents, FA Cup winners only eighteen months earlier when they defeated Bolton Wanderers 4-3 in the final, would boast among their ranks England international centre-forward Stan Mortensen and a certain outside-right named Stanley Matthews.

Dorchester Town: Bird, Gale, Symes, Presley, Cox, West, Curtis, Dobson, Spink, Dare, Moscrop

Goals: Curtis, Gale (pen)

York City: Granger, Phillips, Howe, Brown, Stewart, Spence, Hughes, Bottom, Wilkinson, Storey, Fenton

Goals: Bottom (3), Wilkinson, Fenton

Ref: B. Griffiths (Newport)

Att: 5,191