The Minstermen earned their first point of the season after a 2-2 draw at home to Altrincham.
After an entertaining first-half at the LNER Community Stadium, the Minstermen led 2-1 at the break after strikes from Dipo Akinyemi and Callum Harriott, despite Chris Conn-Clarke handing the visitors a way back into the game.
A goal by Matty Kosylo only a minute after coming off the bench levelled the game for the visitors with twenty-five minutes to go, but neither side could find a late winner as both were forced to settle for a point.
Minstermen boss Mikey Morton originally named four changes to his starting eleven from the one that featured against Kidderminster Harriers at the weekend, but he was forced into making one late additional change ahead of kick off as Paddy McLaughlin returned to the side, taking the place of the injured Alex Woodyard.
Callum Howe returned from a one-match suspension to feature in the heart of the City defence, as he returned to the side alongside Olly Dyson, who came back into the team after dropping to the bench at the weekend. There were also first competitive starts for the club for Callum Harriott and Thierry Latty-Fairweather, who both joined the club during the off-season.
It was the visitors who had the game’s first chance of the evening as an attack down the right-hand side saw the ball fall to Regan Linney inside the penalty area, but he was unable to get a shot away from a tight angle.
City nearly took the lead after eight minutes through a spectacular effort from distance from Quevin Castro, which forced former York City loanee goalkeeper Ethan Ross in action early on, as he turned away his strike for a corner.
But from the resulting corner from Harriott, City managed to find a break through in North Yorkshire. From Callum Harriott’s delivery, Tyler Cordner’s flick on back across goal towards the far post was finished off superbly on the volley by Akinyemi, scoring his second goal of the season following his summer arrival from Ayr United.
Ross was once again called into action minutes later when he turned a travelling free-kick from Akinyemi away and over the bar for another corner, before Castro went on to have a header saved from close-range after a Harriott delivery into the area from the right minutes later.
David Stockdale had to react quickly to turn away a curling free-kick for a corner which was destined for the bottom-corner from Altrincham’s Eddy Jones, before the 37-year-old rolled back the years once again as he pulled off a superb one-handed save to deny Conn-Clarke from gifting the visitors a leveller inside the penalty area as the clock approached the half-hour mark.
After applying plenty of attacks in the final third towards the end of the first half, Altrincham’s pressure finally paid off as they found an equaliser eight minutes before the break. Conn-Clarke was played through by Lewis Banks, who turned a City defender inside the penalty area, before beating Stockdale with a low effort at his right-hand post.
Despite conceding, the Minstermen’s heads didn’t drop as they responded in style and re-took the lead only two minutes after conceding Akinyemi was this time the creator, playing in Harriott, who wrong-footed Ross with a low left-footed strike from the edge of the area, which rolled into the bottom-right corner for his first goal in City colours as the Minstermen ensured they’d head into the break in the lead.
City started the first half just as they ended the first, on the front foot, as they looked to add a third goal for the evening. On his return to action, Dyson went close with a low effort from distance which flew narrowly wide of Ross’ right-hand post.
Altrincham had chances themselves to pull a goal back, firstly through a Conn-Clarke free-kick which flew well over the bar from 25-yards out, before Stockdale made two smart saves inside a minute to deny both Eddie Jones and Linney.
The visitors equalised for the second time in the game with twenty-five minutes to go. After only being on the pitch a minute, Kosylo was on hand to tap in at the far-post, after an inviting ball was played across the face of goal from the right-hand side.
In what still proved to be an end-to-end game, McLaughlin had a fierce effort from distance deflect narrowly wide of goal, before Harriott curled over an effort from distance after cutting inside to shoot onto his left-foot from the right edge.
Sam Roscoe had a brilliant chance to win the game for Altrincham with five minutes to go as he was found unmarked from a corner at the back post, but he couldn’t guide his header on target as it flew well wide of Stockdale’s goal.
After eight additional minutes were awarded at the end of the second-half, Akinyemi cut inside from the right-hand side to shoot as the Minstermen were awarded with a brilliant chance themselves to net a winner, but once again Ross got down and made an important save for his side.
Neither side could find a winner, as both sides were forced to settle for a point. City record their first point of the season, whilst Altrincham remain unbeaten after three games, ahead of their home game against Boreham Wood on Saturday.
City are back in action this coming weekend when they’re back on the road as they take on Aldershot Town at the Electrical Services Stadium on Saturday afternoon (3pm kick-off).
York City: Stockdale (GK) (C), Andoh, Howe, Cordner, Latty-Fairweather (Hancox 70’), McLaughlin, Dyson (John-Lewis 82’), Castro, Siziba (Kouhyar 75’), Akinyemi, Harriott
Unused Subs: Campbell
Goals: Akinyemi (9’), Harriott (39’)
Yellow Cards: Latty-Fairweather, Akinyemi, Castro, Howe
Altrincham: Ross (GK), Banks, E.Jones, Baines (Amaluzor 64’), James Jones, Osbourne, Marriott, Linney (Angus 74’), Conn-Clarke, Roscoe, Joey Jones (Kosylo 64’)
Unused Subs: Cooper, Wilson
Goals: Conn-Clarke (37’), Kosylo (65’)
Yellow Cards: E.Jones, Conn-Clarke, Marriott
Referee: Paul Marsden
Attendance: 4,334 (214 away supporters)
Waitrose & Partners Man of the Match: Callum Harriott