YORK City boss Gary Mills admitted his team’s tight 4-3 win against Nuneaton was “a lesson learned” after maximum points were almost tossed away during the closing stages.

Michael Rankine and Simon Heslop both netted twice as the Minstermen led 3-0 and 4-1 with a second-half penalty, won and converted by former Bootham Crescent winger Ashley Chambers, looking a mere consolation for the part-time visitors.

But Chambers went on to score again on 83 minutes before teeing up team-mate Jordan Nicholson for a third visitors’ goal, leaving Mills’ team hanging on for the final whistle.

Rankine had earlier got on the scoresheet with just 36 seconds on the clock and Mills felt his side got complacent as the game wore on, pointing out: “We got off to a great start, Hessie got a great second goal and, then, it’s very important to get the third, which we did, but we went on to make basic errors.

“We got the three points, but I wouldn’t want to get them like that every week, as I’m sure our fans wouldn’t. We were 3-0 and 4-1 up and I know why we conceded the goals we did.

“Maybe our fans and some of the players thought the game was over, but you have to see out a game of football, because it’s never over until that final whistle goes, so it’s a lesson learned.”

Nevertheless, victory moved the Minstermen up to fifth place in the National League North standings behind surprise early leaders Brackley, North Yorkshire neighbours Harrogate, next weekend’s hosts Southport and title favourites Salford, with Mills reasoning: “Football isn’t perfect and you can’t always play superbly well and take three points, but we’ve taken ten from a possible 12, which is a fantastic response after losing our first game.”

Keeper Jon Worsnop was adjudged to have fouled Chambers for his spot kick and also spilled a low cross for the latter’s second goal, with Mills insisting the former Chester keeper must respond to both incidents in the right manner.

“He’s got to bounce back,” Mills added. “They were two poor goals for him to concede and his job is to come back stronger. If he doesn’t, then he knows what happens.”

Mills also felt rookie defender Jassem Sukar was culpable during Nuneaton’s comeback after being handed his full City debut due to Hamza Bencherif’s one-match suspension.

“I thought he did well, but it was just a matter of making sure he did the simple things right,” the City boss said.

“For two of their goals, the ball was there to head, but that didn’t happen and the ball ended up in our net.”

Despite Chambers incurring the wrath of City fans after tumbling down in front of the David Longhurst Stand, Mills was in no mood to criticise referee Stephen Copeland, who awarded the home team a debatable penalty of their own two minutes later when Bradley Gascoigne was punished for holding on Rankine.

“You have to deal with whatever decision the referee makes, but I was glad to get ours straight after,” Mills said. “I also thought Louis (Almond) should have had one, but he had probably decided he had given too many by then and couldn’t give another, which happens with referees, although they wouldn’t admit it.”

With his team leading 3-0, Mills withdrew Adriano Moke just past the hour and introduced Aidan Connolly, but explained that was no reflection on the former’s performance and confessed it might not have been the right decision in hindsight.

“They had a player sitting deep in the second half, so we wanted to get Aidan on to stop him getting on the ball,” Mills declared. “It was no reflection on Mokes, because I think he’s been excellent.

“Sometimes, you get these decisions right, but maybe we got a couple wrong in this game.”

City were without Jon Parkin for a third successive game as he recovers from calf trouble, but Mills expects last term’s 16-goal top scorer to be available for the bank holiday weekend contests at Southport and against FC United of Manchester at Bootham Crescent.

“I think Jon will be with us next weekend and, with two games in three days, we will need everybody ready for the challenge ahead,” Mills said.