PHIL Wilson breathed a huge sigh of relief after his Lancaster City side escaped from Ellesmere Port with a FA Trophy replay after their worst performance of the season'.

The Dolly Blues appeared to be coasting during the opening 15 minutes of the clash with Conference North rivals Vauxhall Motors but then they stopped playing and were forced into a battle to earn the replay.

"Maybe the lads thought they would win easily after the opening spell," blasts Wilson. "We should have been 2-0 ahead in that opening period but after that we just did not play.

"It was our worst performance of the season by some distance and the players need to take a long hard look after that display."

Wilson had warned of the tough task facing his men ahead of the game and they seemed to have heeded his words.

Even without in-form striker Peter Thomson, who missed the game with tonsillitis, City looked dominant with Ryan-Zico Black and Tony Sullivan leading a potent attack in those early minutes.

But they didn't take their chances and were made to pay after 31 minutes. Keeper Jamie Speare went full stretch to brilliantly keep out a Tony Wright shot but from the resulting corner no-one picked up Wright and he had the freedom of the area to head home.

That was a shock for City but they were level minutes later when Ryan Elderton's through ball released Sullivan.

Vauxhall screamed for offside but the flying striker ran from his own half and as keeper Tim Dittmer raced from his goal, Sulli's salsa took him clear before shooting home.

City went close again before the break and the smart money was on them winning it in the second half.

But the second period was a near horror show for the Dolly Blues as they were pegged back by a Vauxhall side in search of a winner.

At times they were nearly as inept in attack and watching Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry - who arrived at Rivacre Park straight from Anfield and his side's defeat to Manchester United saw nothing to brighten his day and he left with a seriously long face.

For all Vauxhall's pressure Speare only had routine work to carry out, while in a brief foray forward Steve Jones was an ace away from winning it for City as the clock ran down.

"We were very poor but at least we got a second bite with the replay," added Wilson.

LANCASTER CITY: Speare, Scott, Sparrow, McMahon, Uberschar, Moogan (Clark 76), Jones, Prince, Elderton, Sullivan, Black. Subs (not used): Hollis, Bates, Gary, Yeomans.