YORK City survived a frantic finale to secure a 4-3 home victory over Nuneaton.

Braces from Michael Rankine and Simon Heslop saw City take 3-0 and 4-1 leads, but former Bootham Crescent favourite Ashley Chambers won and converted a penalty, scored a second and then teed up a third to take the game to the wire.

The hosts opened the scoring after 36 seconds when Sean Newton’s inviting cross from the left touchline bounced up off the turf and Rankine guided a downward header past Nuneaton keeper Tyrell Belford from four yards.

The lead was then doubled on 23 minutes after Belford had tipped over Amari Morgan-Smith’s looping header following Louis Almond’s left-wing cross.

Newton delivered the subsequent corner from the right and, despite the ball being cleared by the visitors’ defence, it only travelled as far as Heslop who, from 20 yards, smacked a terrific full volley into the roof of a stunned Belford’s net.

Moments later, another Almond cross from the left flashed across the face of goal with Rankine unable to apply a decisive touch.

Alert play by Jon Worsnop, though, prevented the visitors from replying when a ricochet off Heslop sent Brady Hickey clear on goal, only for the City keeper to charge out and execute an excellent block tackle.

Nicholson, meanwhile, beat City debutant Jassem Sukar through the right channel, but shot straight at Worsnop from 15 yards, while the last chance of the half saw Niall Heaton head well over from Ryan Beswick’s corner.

After the break, Rankine saw a 20-yard, deflected effort spin wide before City made it 3-0 on 52 minutes when Morgan-Smith's corner from the left was cleared by the away defence but Heslop charged on to the loose ball and, from 15 yards, fired another full volley in off Belford's left-hand upright.

Shortly afterwards, Almond tested Belford from a similar distance following Alex Whittle's left-wing raid and a towering Rankine met Newton's cross but directed his header straight at the away keeper.

Sukar went on to turn his man in the box, before calling Belford into action at his near post whilst, a mix-up at the other end, saw Beswick sidefoot wastefully wide of an open net.

Nuneaton midfielder Billy Daniels also shot just wide from 25 yards before Tommy Wright's men reduced the deficit on 67 minutes.

Worsnop followed Chambers close to the left byline to usher the ball out but, when the ex-City forward went to ground, a dubious penalty was awarded.

He went on to sidefoot in off Worsnop's left-hand upright.

Just two minutes later, though, City had a spot kick of their own when Brad Gascoigne was punished for holding Rankine, who fired powerfully down the middle from 12 yards.

After Morgan-Smith lifted a 15-yard chance well over from 15 yards following good work by Josh Law, a nervy ending then followed for the City faithful.

First, Chambers pounced from three yards after Worsnop failed to hold on to a low Nicholson cross from the left on 83 minutes.

Then, Chambers turned provider, pulling the ball back from the byline for Nicholson to beat Worsnop low to his left with an eight-yard effort.

City held on, though, in front of a fraught home crowd, to take maximum points.