YORK City threw away two points at Leamington after squandering a 2-0 lead five minutes from time.

The Minstermen looked to be cruising following David Ferguson’s first goal for the club and Jon Parkin’s ninth of the season.

But Junior English and Liam Canavan strikes at the death earned the hosts a shock point and denied new boss Martin Gray back-to-back wins from his first two games in charge The Minstermen asserted their authority from the start and forced a save from debutant Jose Veiga after just 44 seconds, when he pushed away a downward volley by Simon Heslop, following Alex Whittle’s positive raid down the left.

Heslop was again involved as City then forged ahead on nine minutes.

His excellent crossfield pass released Adriano Moke down the left and the latter’s cross was met by a firm, first-time finish by Ferguson from ten yards.

Shortly afterwards, Ferguson took up a similar position but, this time, following an Amari Morgan-Smith centre from the left, the former Blackpool full back, playing on the wing, fired a free shot at goal just wide.

Leamington’s first opportunity of the afternoon saw Jack Edwards clear the crossbar with an edge-of-the-box half-volley.

But Parkin went on to flick over with the outside of his boot after a Sean Newton throw had dropped to him in the box.

The latter also squandered a gift-wrapped chance to double the visitors’ advantage, blazing a six-yard volley over after Brakes defender Junior English had headed Josh Law’s free kick against his own bar.

Parkin had another couple of efforts, missing the target with a long-range, chest-and-volley attempt and lifting over from 15 yards after exchanging passes with Morgan-Smith.

Centre-back Hamza Bencherif, meanwhile, saw a downward header bounce wide from another Law free kick and an unchallenged Newton was wasteful again, firing wildly over after Morgan-Smith had got to the byline.

The hosts briefly threatened after the restart with Rob Thompson-Brown hitting the outside of Bailey Peacock-Farrell’s near post from the left, while Kieran Dunbar’s header was too tame to trouble the on-loan Leeds keeper.

But City made it 2-0 on 53 minutes when Peacock-Farrell’s long kick forward was misjudged by his opposite number Veiga and, after the ball had bounced over him in his own box, Parkin kept his composure to prod into the net.

Following a long lull in the game, City sub Louis Almond broke through the right channel, only for his effort to be directed away from goal.

On 85 minutes, though, the Brakes, who had threatened very little, reduced the deficit when sub Jassem Sukar failed to deal with a ball into the box and, after Kurtis Revan’s low shot had been blocked, English pounced from a couple of yards.

Three minutes later, the Midlanders were level when a throw by Revan was not cleared by the City defence and Canavan curled a shot in from ten yards.

The Minstermen then laid siege on the home goal during the closing stages but a deflected Parkin chip dropped just over and a scrambled Bencherif effort was cleared off the line, as Gray’s men were forced to share the spoils.