CURZON Ashton might have ended the game with Mohamud Ali on the pitch, but it was York City’s favourite heavyweight that earned his team a point when they were on the ropes.

At no stage in his 19-year career has Barnsley-born behemoth Jon Parkin floated like a butterfly but, even at the age of 36, he does still carry enough venom to sting like a bee.

And, during a home display that, otherwise, packed little punch, Parkin landed the only blow on Curzon’s goal to secure a 1-1 draw.

Either side of the veteran campaigner’s 76th-minute strike, the Minstermen didn’t muster a single legitimate attempt on goal, discounting Hamza Bencherif’s disallowed first-half headed effort.

Just before the hour mark, meanwhile, Joe Guest had opened the scoring as he enjoyed a hospitable return to Bootham Crescent, where he also netted in last term’s corresponding fixture.

Curzon, who ended the game with ten men following Cameron McJannet’s 90th-minute red card, had earlier enjoyed long periods of possession during a first half in which the unimaginative hosts found touch or a green shirt with irritating regularity to the growing dismay of the Minstermen faithful.

For all the visitors’ superior play, though, they only managed to craft one goalscoring chance during an opening 45 minutes in which neither net-minder was tested.

That opportunity also fell to Guest, who drove across the face of the home goal on seven minutes after being released through the left channel by Ryan Brooke.

At a David Longhurst End that City kicked towards from the kick-off after Curzon had won the toss, home shouts for centre-back Daniel Shaw to be sent off were ignored when he tangled with Macaulay Langstaff as the pair chased a long forward ball.

Instead, Shaw was cautioned and was then fouled himself as Bencherif climbed on his shoulders to meet Kallum Griffiths’ resulting free kick, denying himself a first goal in Minstermen colours as his powerful downward header beat Cameron Mason.

Ambitious long-range mistimed efforts from Parkin then failed to trouble the away keeper, with Langstaff and Wes York also missing the target from just outside the box.

A deflected Langstaff attempt then led to City’s only corner of the contest, from which Parkin’s lofted shot drifted wide.

The game’s first save eventually arrived on 57 minutes when Curzon sub Oliver Crankshaw’s 15-yard half-volley forced Adam Bartlett into a flying stop.

Moments later, the deadlock was broken when Bartlett could only parry a firm 20-yard Brooke drive back out to Guest, who pounced to lift the ball into the roof of the home net.

Parkin went on to squander an excellent chance when he was picked out in the box by Griffiths’ right-wing cross, but his stooping header bounced wide.

Another Griffiths delivery – this time from a free kick – also saw Tom Allan head well over.

Horrible play all round then saw Bencherif lose possession to Brooke close to the left touchline but, after the latter’s low centre, an unmarked Guest dallied too long and allowed Bartlett to grab the ball off his toes.

Moments later, Connor Hughes found more space on City’s left side and he also found Guest, whose blasted shot was saved well by Bartlett, although fuming home fans didn’t hold back in reaction to their team’s sloppy standards.

Those jeers turned to cheers, temporarily at least, when a long boot forward was collected by Parkin in the visitors’ box and, although his initial attempt to turn and get a shot away was thwarted, the ball broke for him kindly and he drilled a low 15-yard drive into Mason’s bottom-right corner.

Within a minute, Simon Heslop had fired inches wide from the edge of the box following Parkin’s lay-off and, after Chris Rowney’s volley hit the roof of the Longhurst, City missed another great chance to snatch maximum points.

This time, Jake Wright headed over an inviting goal after Bencherif has risen highest to meet Griffiths’ free kick.

As the clock ticked down, McJannet was dismissed as Wright’s forward charge was halted by a trip.

It was the teenage left back’s second bookable offence, having hacked down York earlier in the half.

Parkin subsequently drove inches wide from the resulting free kick, while Hughes curled the game’s final opportunity over from 20 yards in stoppage time, with the Minstermen having now won just one of their last six home fixtures.

City ratings

Adam Bartlett 7

Kallum Griffiths 7

Joe Tait 6

Hamza Bencherif 6

Tom Allan 6

Wes York 5

Russ Penn 5

Simon Heslop 5

Adriano Moke 5

Jon Parkin 6

Macaulay Langstaff 5

Substitutes: Jake Wright 6 (for York, 65), Jordan Burrow 5 (for Langstaff, 70), Josh Law (for Penn, 80).

Subs not used: David Ferguson, Ryan Whitley.

Star man: Griffiths - made vital tackles and set-piece delivery was on the money again

Curzon Ashton: Cameron Mason, Daniel Morton, Jonathan Hunt, Daniel Shaw, Cameron McJannet, James Baillie (Oliver Crankshaw, 38), Joe Guest, Paul Marshall (Alex Samizadeh, 78), Chris Rowney (Mohamud Ali, 82), Connor Hughes, Ryan Brooke. Subs not used: Mason Fawns, Niall Cummins.

Curzon Ashton star man: Hughes – patrolled right flank with purpose

Referee: Paul Brown: 6/10 – couple of errors, but generally OK

Booked: Shaw 10, Rowney 12, Bencherif 45+1, McJannet 65

Sent off: McJannet 90

Attendance: 2,192 (54 from Curzon)

Shots on target: City 1, Curzon Ashton 5

Shots off target: City 11, Curzon Ashton 4

Corners: City 1, Curzon Ashton 1

Fouls conceded: City 17, Curzon Ashton 9

Offside: City 3, Curzon Ashton 5