Minstermen keep tight rein

York City again showed well during the first-half but were in the end unable to break through play-off chasing Fleetwood Town as the two sides shared another 0-0 draw at the Highbury Stadium.

Striker Jason Walker had a couple of close efforts for the visitors and Alex Rodman, Michael Potts and Matty Blair also threatened while their opponents were kept largely in check throughout.

Manager Gary Mills handed a first start in almost a year to defender David McGurk at the expense of the sidelined Chris Doig. In addition, teenage midfielder Tom Platt returned on the bench after a recent successful loan spell at Harrogate Town. He replaced Luton-bound Jonathan Smith.

And it was the visitors threatening first on thirteen minutes when goalkeeper Scott Davies parried from Rodman and then turned Walker's shot away from his top corner. As the rain increased, Potts delivered an excellent cross which was eventually forced clear before having a low shot diverted behind by the busy Davies.

But as with the earlier meeting between the two sides this season, York were unable to turn their early dominance into goals as the winter sunshine now filled the stadium.

They were soon handed a temporary blow when Scott Kerr was forced off for treatment on a bloodied nose following a wayward elbow. David Ball nearly took advantage of the visitors being down to ten men when heading wide.

The Minstermen should have taken the lead five minutes after the break when the recovered Kerr released Blair to cross for Walker to drill wide of the post. Blair then broke again at pace and had another effort deflect through to Davies as Rodman waited to feed off the scraps.

Both sides made substitutions midway through the second-half and York's replacement Lanre Oyebanjo soon prodded behind. Junior Brown pulled a free-kick harmlessly off-target in reply after Chris Smith was penalised while Patrick McLaughlin screwed wide for the visitors from another Blair cross.

Fleetwood's response had City keeper Ingham managing to block from substitute Damien Johnson after a good challenge from Daniel Parslow before the former Northern Ireland international was ruled to have been fouled from the subsequent corner.

The largely untroubled Ingham also comfortably gathered a late header from another replacement, Steven Gillespie, while Blair had a further opportunity deflected behind at the opposite end before the corner was also scrambled clear as neither side could find a way through - to ensure a repeat of last season's scoreless meeting between these clubs.

Fleetwood Town: Davies, Beeley, Howell, Brown, Goodall, Atkinson, Milligan (Johnson 46), McGuire, Marrow, Titchiner, Ball (Gillespie 69)

subs (unused): Maxwell, McNulty, C. McLaughlin, J. Allen, Barkhuizen

York City: Ingham, Parslow, McGurk, C. Smith, Fyfield, Kerr, Potts (Bullock 82), P. McLaughlin, Blair, Walker, Rodman (Oyebanjo 70)

subs (unused): Musselwhite, T. Allan, Platt, Challinor, Reed

Ref: M. Brown (East Yorkshire)

Att: 2,465 (466 York)

* YORK CITY FC * PLAY-OFF WINNERS 2012 * FA TROPHY WINNERS 2012 * YORK CITY FC * PLAY-OFF WINNERS 2012 * FA TROPHY WINNERS 2012 * YORK CITY FC * PLAY-OFF WINNERS 2012 * FA TROPHY WINNERS 2012 * YORK CITY FC * PLAY-OFF WINNERS 2012 * FA TROPHY WINNERS 2012 *

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