MAYBE, just maybe, this could be York City's season.

Saturday's opening day performance provided scant evidence to suggest that this will be a promotion campaign.

But at least good fortune, a telling ingredient for any successful side, seems to be with the Minstermen this term.

The fact Lady Luck is back in town after all but disappearing last time out is about the only positive to take from a scrappy game. That and City's refusal to let their heads drop when all seemed lost.

For up until Peter Duffield's last-gasp equaliser City looked well set to maintain their impoverished opening day record.

It wasn't as if City were outplayed. One costly lapse aside, City's defence looked solid enough as a not particularly impressive Macclesfield created few chances of their own.

But City, poor in possession, created even fewer as the crisp passing that saw last season close with hope renewed made way for the return of the misplaced or worse, the aimless.

As difficult as it is to recall City carving out real chances, so it is equally difficult to recall the team stringing more than two or three passes together at one time.

Rarely did the wing-backs get beyond the midfield three, who for long spells were all but sat on top of the defence.

That left a large gap between the midfield and the attack and with Duffield and strike partner Lee Nogan cast adrift the duo had little more than scraps upon which to dine.

Indeed, it is perhaps not too far off the truth to suggest City's biggest goal threat came from the boot of goalkeeper Marlon Beresford.

More than once his long punts unsettled the home defence and almost led to City taking an early lead.

Macc defender Michael Welch missed his clearing header to leave Nogan in the clear but his sidefoot was cleared off the line by the out-stretched leg of Paul O'Neill.

Nogan's near-miss aside, City were certainly the better team in the opening quarter before a momentary laspse of concentration looked to have cost them dear.

Lee Glover was given far too much room down the right-hand side to deliver his cross while the ever-lively Matthew Tipton was all too easily able to get in front of his marker and send a sharp header past Beresford.

A couple of penalty appeals from both sides and the odd crunching tackle aside, what remained of the half, indeed the match, was largely forgettable.

It took the introduction of Jon Parkin just past the hour and a shift to 4-3-3 to see City regain some of their early vigour as the game at last developed some ebb and flow.

But Macclesfield still had the best chances to seal the win.

Karl Munroe blasted over from a good position before the first indication that luck might shine on City this season came as Chris Priest's piledriver cannoned back off the crossbar with Beresford seemingly beat.

Confirmation came with Duffield's late, late intervention. The referee had somewhere managed to find five minutes of added time and in the fifth and final City were awarded a disputed corner.

Stephen Brackstone's set piece drifted to the far post unopposed where Duffield, the ace poacher, was on hand to poke the ball home.

It provided the dictionary definition for the phrase 'got out of jail'.

Fact file:

Macclesfield: Wilson, Hitchen, O'Neill, Tinson, Adams, Welch, Munroe, Priest, Whittaker, Tipton (Askey 82m), Glover (Lightbourne 79m). Subs (not used): Martin, Lightbourne, Askey, Came, Aldridge. Bookings: Hitchen 27m, O'Neill 71m (both fouls). Goal: Tipton 18.

York City: Beresford 7, Okoli 5 (Edmondson 69m, 6), Smith 7, Jones 7, Hobson 6 (Parkin 62m, 6), Cowan 6, Brass 6, Fox 6, Brackstone 6, Nogan 6 (Mathie 77m), Duffield 6. Subs (not used): Collinson, Wood. Bookings: Jones 20m, Brass 39m, Fox 53m (all fouls). Goal: Duffield 90.

REFEREE: Phil Joslin (Notts)

ATTENDANCE: 2,585

Man of the match: Chris Smith

Updated: 10:21 Monday, August 12, 2002