Richard Skelly moved into centre midfield to form what looked a solid partnership with Che Wilson, providing greater protection for a back line in which again Colin Vowden was outstanding.
City were into their stride early on. Skelly tried his luck from distance after only four minutes but Samu Harmianen in the home goal gathered comfortably. Harmianen was again in action three minutes later when a defence splitting pass from Wilson sent Matt Clements sprinting clear. The keeper did well to smother the winger's shot. Ilkeston responded with former Cambridge Utd striker Leon Kelly firing wide when well placed, but the pattern was set for the half by their early incursions as City went on to dominate.
Adam Wilde played a lovely ball inside for Wilkin who was unmarked on the edge of the area, unfortunately he failed to control and the ball trickled forward into the keeper's hands. City's veteran striker made amends sixty seconds later with a trademark near-post header from a Tim Wooding corner to give City the lead
Wilde was having his best game for sometime and was again to the fore as he cut inside and shot narrowly over the angle of post and crossbar. Just before the half hour mark City again went close to doubling their advantage. A neat Gutzmore flick sent Wilde again sprinting down the left flank. His firmly struck low cross flew across the face of goal with Clements inches from connecting at the far post. Two minutes on City broke away as another Ilkeston attack floundered, Wilkin slipped Wilde in behind the defence but he pushed the ball a little too far in front of him and Harmianen claimed it. As the half drew to a close, City again had a good opportunity to score. Gutzmore and Wilkin combined well, the latter sending a low cross to the far post where somehow Clements failed to get the vital touch in a carbon copy of his chance earlier in the game. On thirty eight minutes, Ilkeston produced their first real threat of the half when a Emeke Nwadike cross found Kelly but under pressure he headed well off target.
After only a minute of the second half City doubled their lead. Clemence forced a corner, Wilde flicked it on and Wilkin was on hand to force the ball home at the near-post despite the close attention of a defender and the keeper. At 2-0, City appeared to take their foot of the gas and Ilkeston rallied well and produced a sustained spell of pressure during which they forced a number of set plays. From a corner Matt McKenzie produced a towering header that went only just wide of the far post, and from another corner soon after, substitute O'Connor sidefooted an effort a foot over the bar, however, City weathered the brief storm relatively comfortably.
As time moved along, the game became increasingly scrappy, City looked happy to contain the home side and did it most effectively, while on occasions threatening to put the game beyond the their host's reach. Just after the hour Wilde lifted the ball over the bar from twelve yards after it broke to him off Wilkin.
In the final minutes both sides traded efforts on goal. Tim Wooding saw a free-kick go wide of the upright following a foul on Clements and Scott Dundas shot across the face of goal when he should have done much better, but City were not to be denied and ran out worthy winners.
