But Mansfield will have to overcome The Minstermen at Field Mill on Tuesday in the replay after they failed to convert a number of good first-half chances.

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Dangerous winger Nathan Arnold wasted two good chances when he blazed well wide of the York goal in the early stages from just 12 yards out.

Arnold also came close on the half hour mark when he combined well with the solid Jon D'Laryea though midfield.

But he failed to find the necessary power with his deliberately struck shot and York keeper Mike Ingham saved well low to his left.

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At the other end Stags' keeper Paddy Gamble pulled off a string of fine saves to keep his side in the tie.

Mansfield, who entered the world-famous cup competition at the qualify stage for the first time in their history, came into the game on the back of four straight league defeats.

On loan players Paddy Gamble, Emile Sinclair and defender Max Chanot were all given permission to start the cup clash by their respective sides.

Striker Jason Lee replaced Mark Stallard in the starting line-up, while Matt Somner and Alan O'Hare also earned recalls to the first team.

York City made one change to their starting line-up, with Mark Greaves slotting back into the Minstermen's midfield.

Stags began the game brightest and nearly took a deserved lead on six minutes when Jason Lee latched on to a corner at the back post.

He then unleashed a firm low drive which was frantically cleared off the line by a retreating York defender.

The early movement and runs from midfield by Blackwood and Arnold were also causing major problems for the York rearguard.

And on 9 minutes dangerous Arnold should have fired Stags into the lead when he latched onto the ball in the box following a defensive error, before he fired well wide of the York goal from 12 yards out.

The Minsterman started to fight back and forced a scare when Farrell latched onto a through ball from Simon Rusk, before he fizzed over a neat cross-cum-shot wide of Gamble's right post on 12 minutes.

Lively Farrell again went close moments later when he was picked out by a flick-on from midfield.

He then spun and turned on the edge of the Stags' box, before firing a dipping half-volley narrowly over Paddy Gamble's bar.

D'Laryea then fired another warning shot on 20 minutes when he was played in by Jason Lee following a Nathan Arnold corner to the concern of the increasingly restless home fans.

Impressive Mansfield continued to dominant proceedings and Arnold once again went close to giving Stags a deserved lead on the half hour mark.

But Arnold, who was played in following a neat one-two through midfield with Jon D'Laryea, failed to get the necessary power behind his right foot shot and Ingham was able to save well down to his left.

York was then denied after a heroic save by Paddy Gamble kept the score level on 40 minutes.

Midfielder David McBreen rose like a salmon at the back post to fire a powerful header back across goal following a free-kick.

But as the home fans leapt up to celebrate the goal Gamble dived full-stretch to his left to divert the ball to safety with his fingertips and send the teams in level at half-time.

After a slow start to the second-half York once again came to close to taking the lead on 57 minutes when substitute Onome Sodje was played clean through on the Mansfield goal by Ben Wilkinson.

He then unleashed a powerful drive from 14 yards out which was beaten away well at a comfortable height by an out-stretched Gamble.

Defender Darren Kelly then failed to break the deadlock when he beat his marker and fired a weak header straight at Gamble following a Purkiss free-kick on 70 Minutes.

Both sides continued to cancel each other out as Mansfield began to lose their cutting edge up front, with Lee and Arnold becoming anonymous, while York continued to waste possession in key areas.

A fading Arnold then screwed a half-chance comfortably wide after he spun onto a Jason Lee flick on 83 minutes to consign the game to a stalemate.

York City: Ingham, Purkiss, Robinson (Russell 51 minutes), Kelly, McGurk, Parslow, Greaves, McBreen (Boyes 77 minutes), Farrell (Sodje 24 minutes), Wilkinson, Rusk.

Subs: Mimms, Shepherd, McWilliams, Rothery.

Mansfield Town: Gamble, Silk, D'Laryea, Moses, O'Hare, Arnold, Somner, Lee, Blackwood (Hurren 44 minutes), Jeannin, Sinclair (O'Connor 50 minutes).

Subs: Stallard, Wood, Chanot, Knight, Robinson.

Attendance: 1,976 (255)

Man of the match: Paddy Gamble

Referee: Paul Tierney (Wigan)