ON what was to prove an evening of fantasy in Munich for England, the footballing fairy-tales had already begun at Bootham Crescent just a couple of hours earlier.

A dramatic injury-time winner against your closest rivals to seal your 2000th League point at home, a stunning volley to boot, and scored by a player against his former club - it was Roy of the Rovers stuff for York City and Michael Proctor.

City were certainly deserving of the three points in the end but they played better and lost at Shrewsbury just days earlier.

Halifax, rocked by the resignation of Paul Bracewell in midweek, set their stall out for a point.

They defended well but because of their stonewall tactics, particularly in the second-half when Alan Fettis in the City goal did not have a save to make, it seemed justice was rightly served by Proctor's telling blast.

However, while City were the only team who wanted to win the game and produced a much improved second-half display to merit the victory, Proctor's strike could not gloss over a poor opening 45 minutes from the Minstermen.

Perhaps it was a desire to start the match at a high-tempo, but inexplicably City's new-found passing game went out of the window and it was a return to hit and hope balls out of defence.

There is always a time and a place for such a tactic - indeed City's winner came from just one such pass - but with Halifax lining up with three rugged central defenders against City's less physically pronounced front line it just fed into Shaymen hands.

City were ponderous as again and again Halifax allowed City time in possession and simply waited for the Minstermen to hurl it back their way.

Chances were at a premium.

The first came on eight minutes when Lee Bullock latched on to Aidan O'Kane's cross and flashed a header just wide of the near post.

The second saw Proctor lash a long range effort off the base of the post from 25 yards.

Halifax had perhaps the better chances and City were grateful to Fettis for keeping the scores level after he produced a fine reflex save to deny Gary Jones' point blank effort.

Jones later wasted another golden opportunity to nudge Halifax in front when he shot over unopposed from ten yards out and then saw another good chance blocked by John Fielding.

After such a disappointing first-half, it is to City's great credit then that they managed to produce a much better second-half performance.

That they ignored their first-half failings and refused to dwell on them must augur well for the rest of the season.

City stepped up a gear as a sense of urgency enveloped the red ranks.

Significantly, Lee Nogan started dropping deep to link-up the play and bring others into the game. When Nogan plays well so to do City.

The introduction of former Halifax player Nick Richardson just past the hour mark also gave City fresh impetus.

A few eyebrows may have been raised when City manager Terry Dolan handed Richardson a one-year contract in the summer, but he does the simple things well.

After a sweeping, passing move, Proctor finally fired in City's first effort on target with a close range header as Darren Edmondson, Bullock and Nogan all went close.

With their passing boots now on and crosses firing in, City were certainly asking more of the Halifax defence.

A raking pass from Matt Hocking put Nogan in the clear but the ball refused to drop for the City striker and he could only lift it over the bar.

But the move proved a precursor of City's late, late winner.

Skipper Chris Brass had seen his rising effort tipped over the bar before Potter's resultant corner was cleared.

Hocking picked up the loose ball just inside Halifax's half, hoofed it back from where it came and Proctor was able to swivel and rifle home with unerring accuracy.

It sent the home fans delirious but the celebrations were only just beginning.

Updated: 10:05 Monday, September 03, 2001