York City 1 Chorley 1: Ten-man York hold frustrated Magpies to draw

The Minstermen were boosted by a huge crowd of 4,512 (taking full advantage of a seasonal cut-price-admission offer).

But the home support was clearly not unqualified, as the game was briefly held up in the first half after a large number of tennis-balls were hurled on to the pitch by York fans protesting against the club’s Board.

City had taken a 15th-minute lead when a Clayton Donaldson cross was flicked on for Akil Wright to head home at the back post, and the scorer was close to a second with a powerful drive which flew just over the bar.

But Chorley gradually hit their stride and home keeper Peter Jameson made the first of numerous saves when he did very well to keep out a deflected shot from Millenic Alli.

On 37 minutes a reckless challenge by Matt Brown on Billy Whitehouse earned the York man an inevitable straight red card and moments later Jameson again saved superbly from Alli.

It was no more than the Magpies deserved when on 43 minutes Harry Cardwell with sublime skill bent a 25-yards’ free-kick low into the corner of the net to send the teams into the break on level terms.

Harvey Smith replaced Scott Leather just after the interval, the Magpies’ skipper having failed to shake off a first-half knock.

It was the 10 men who threatened first, Matt Urwin doing well to deal with a header from Mark Beck but as the game entered its final quarter Chorley began to call the shots.

A Lewis Baines blockbuster just cleared the York bar and Jameson again rescued the hosts with saves from Alli and Jon Ustabasi before the industrious Alli fired over the bar.

But in truth, for all the Magpies’ control of possession, the York defence was not as seriously examined in the closing stages as might have been expected.

Vermiglio was unhappy at the Magpies’ inability to claim the three points. He said: “We just didn’t do enough in the second half with our extra man advantage.

“Although we moved the ball well, we didn’t get it into their box often enough.

“For them it’s a point gained in the circumstances but for us there’s a very frustrated dressing-room.”

And on a day of several changes in the order at the top of the table, Chorley slipped to fifth, overtaken by both Kidderminster and Gateshead who both recorded a fifth successive win.

CHORLEY: Urwin, Henley, Leather (Smith 48), Baines, Whitehouse (Shenton 61), Calveley (Blyth 83), Cardwell, Tomlinson, Ustabasi, Blakeman, Alli. Subs not used: Halls, Goodridge.