After the shuffle towards safety on Saturday came a more significant step closer to the promised land for York City, who stretched their unbeaten run to eight games.

The only sour point was it was so close to being a massive stride after a valiant second-half rearguard action had taken City to within seconds of all three points.

As if conceding an injury time goal wasn't cruel enough, the manner of Cheltenham's equaliser was equally galling for followers of City.

Cheltenham had peppered the City penalty area with a series of dangerous crosses but the Minstermen had stood firm to the aerial bombardment until, from an innocent looking corner, Mark Yates' stooped to deliver his injury time blow.

The Minstermen would no doubt have been delighted with a point prior to kick-off on a miserable Gloucestershire night, more akin to December's darkest days.

In truth and as cruel as it was, the point was probably no more than Cheltenham deserved for their relentless second-half pressure.

But that should not detract from another near perfect away day performance from City in the opening 45 minutes.

Save for Lee Nogan's 18th minute strike, it was a distinctly unremarkable first half which must have delighted Terry Dolan; a mark of a job well done

Cheltenham, themselves in a rich vein of form backed by six games unbeaten, were quick in their attempts to set a high tempo.

But City chased, harried and snapped at the heels of the Robins, crowding out the space and giving little time for the home side to settle on the ball.

Given their understandable desire to get bodies behind goalside, Nogan's salvo came like a shot out of the blue.

Matt Hocking pumped a free-kick from within his own half into the Cheltenham penalty area and caught the Robins' defence flat-footed.

As the ball dropped in behind, Nogan pounced and lifted it over a hesitant Steve Book. The ball seemed set on drifting agonisingly wide but spun off the wet pitch and crept inside the post.

City could hardly believe their good fortune but with a priceless lead now to protect their steely determination was galvanised.

From back to front, City to a man worked their proverbial socks off.

Cheltenham probed and prodded but could find no way through a suffocating wet City blanket, markedly composed and concentrated.

Cheltenham's only clear sight of goal came on 38 minutes, Neil Grayson clipped a cross to the far post where the ever-threatening Greg Goodridge volleyed just wide of the City upright.

With a swirling wind driving into their faces, the second-half promised to be a stiffer test for City's defensive resolve and so it proved.

Within two minutes of the restart, Goodridge set the agenda with a curling cross that just evaded the outstretched boot of Mark Yates.

From then on City became entrenched in their own penalty area..

Their only forward foray of note saw Graham Potter deliver a carefully crafted pass that split the Cheltenham defence but from a tight angle Richard Cooper's shot for the far post was comfortably saved by Book.

It proved only a temporary reprieve from City's defensive duties and it took a near miraculous block from Hocking to deny Charlie MacDonald an equaliser with the goal at the young striker's mercy.

Fettis produced an excellent save to turn Richard Walker's vicious 25-yard drive that bounced just in front of the City keeper around the post.

If City's attacking play had been minimal it was by now non-existent as Grayson lashed an effort wide and Fettis had to react smartly to prevent Chris Banks' cross from dropping inside the meeting of post and bar.

For all Cheltenham's pressure though as the clock ticked down City looked to have weathered the storm.

And when Russell Milton slammed a volley wide from just six yards and Fettis produced a superb save to claw out Yates' bullet header from under the crossbar City must have thought the points were bagged.

But from seemingly been home, if not dry, from the resultant corner the ball seemed to hold up in the wind.

Everyone seemed to be caught flat-footed by the flight of the ball, save for Yates who was free to hammer home his cruel, cruel blow.

Cheltenham 1 v York City 1

City: Alan Fettis 6, Richard Cooper 7, Barry Jones 7, Matt Hocking 8, Mark Bower 7, Graham Potter 7, Lee Bullock 6, Steve Agnew 7 (Chris Brass 66mins, 6), Nick Richardson 7, Lee Nogan 7 (David McNiven 86mins), Colin Alcide 6

Subs, not used: Neville Southall, Alex Mathie, Gary Hobson

Goals: Nogan 18mins

Bookings: Nogan 63mins (unsporting conduct)

Sent-off: None

Cheltenham: Steve Book, Michael Duff, Mark Sertori, Chris Banks, Richard Walker (Julian Alsop 60mins), Greg Goodridge, Mark Yates, Lee Howells, Russell Milton, Neil Grayson, Charlie McDonald (Hugh McAuley 73mins)

Subs, not used: Shane Higgs, Antony Griffin, Martin Devaney

Goals: Yates 90mins

Bookings: None

Sent-off: None

City man of the match: Matt Hocking. On a night when City's defensive resolved was tested to its limits Hocking was an unflappable rock. Increasingly assured, he marshalled those around him superbly and won countless headers

Attendance: 2,669

Referee: Tony Bates (Stoke-on-Trent)

Updated: 11:37 Wednesday, March 21, 2001