ON Friday night York City suffered last-minute agony, yesterday they enjoyed last-minute ecstacy.

And, boy, how they deserved it after a display filled in large patches with fine, flowing football.

To a man, City looked by far the more accomplished outfit, yet they needed to call on their three substitutes - Colin Alcide, Barry Conlon and Christian Fox - to break the deadlock at the death.

With the fourth official having sat down after showing there were two minutes of injury time to be played, City built a fine move down the left flank.

Fox played the ball sharply inside to Conlon, who controlled it well and back-heeled a superb pass into the path of Alcide. Two touches later, the ball was nestling in the net, Alcide having poked it under the on-rushing 'keeper from eight yards out.

A few seconds after the restart, referee David Pugh blew for time, and City's league campaign was up and running with their first three-point haul of the season.

It added to the point earned at Carlisle on Friday when an injury-time free-kick cruelly denied them the spoils. But if that disappointment had affected Terry Dolan's men, then they didn't show it, as they shot out of the blocks.

David McNiven, Graham Potter and Peter Duffield all went close within the opening 15 minutes, while the outstanding Wayne Hall sprinted down the left to blast a 23rd-minute effort just wide.

On the half hour, Lee Bullock intelligently played an indirect free-kick - awarded after Barnet 'keeper Lee Harrison had picked up a back pass - quickly into the path of Duffield, but his fierce drive cannoned off a defender and away to safety.

However, despite some superb football and well-crafted chances, the Minstermen just couldn't find the net, and - especially given the start to the season City have had - one began to wonder whether the Bees were about to cash in with a smash and grab raid.

Indeed, the visitors came closest to breaking the deadlock after 36 minutes when Ken Charlery laid the ball off to Scott McGleish whose right-footed drive crashed off the inside of Alan Fettis' far post.

It was the Bees first of only two first-half forages, although they should have scored with the second just three minutes later.

Fettis' clearance was headed back by Frazer Toms and latched onto by McGleish, but with City's custodian finding himself in no man's land, the striker - seeking his fifth goal of the season but his first away from home for exactly a year - miscued his attempted chip horribly wide.

The busy McNiven was denied by a superb one-handed stop by Harrison as the half drew to a close, and then by an even better save early into the second period.

Harrison's outstretched left arm denied McNoven, who was put through by Darren Edmondson, and the in-form 'keeper again denied the burly forward his first competitive goal for the Minstermen when palming away a right-footed volley on the turn from a Hall throw-in after 71 minutes.

A minute earlier, Duffield had wowed the crowd with an acrobatic but unfruitful overhead kick, as City ended a dull 20-minute spell with a much-needed spot of goalmouth action.

However, the longer it stayed at 0-0, the more the home fans feared Barnet might nick an undeserved goal out of nowhere.

And that nearly came with 15 minutes remaining after Fox, having come on for Potter just a minute earlier, brought down the marauding John Doolan six yards outside the box.

Memories of Brunton Park three days earlier abounded as Darren Currie curled his free-kick over the wall and seemingly into the left corner. But Fettis sprang to his right and got both hands to the ball.

That was Barnet's one and only effort on target throughout the whole 90 minutes - although the City faithful were to again hold their breath as an 89th-minute Bees corner fell to Danny Brown to the left of goal but the substitute's drive flew across goal.

Having missed out on an unjust winner, Barnet would still have been delighted to head south with a draw, but at long last Lady Luck stopped frowning on the Minstermen.

Conlon, having come on for McNiven for the last five minutes, provided the magic, and Alcide - only on because of a 77th-minute head injury to full-back Barry Jones - provided the finish. Bootham Crescent was smiling again.

peter.martini@ycp.co.uk

City Match Facts Nationwide League Division Three

Monday, August 28, 2000

York City 1, Barnet 0

Scorer: Alcide 90mins

YORK CITY: Alan Fettis 6; Barry Jones 7 (Colin Alcide, 77), Mark Sertori 7, Gary Hobson 7, Wayne Hall 9; Darren Edmondson 7, Lee Bullock 7, Steve Agnew 8, Graham Potter 7 (Christian Fox, 74); Peter Duffield 7, David McNiven 7 (Barry Conlon, 85). Subs, not used: Marc Thompson, Neville Southall.

Bookings: None

Sendings-off: None

BARNET: Lee Harrison; Sam Stockley, Greg Heald, Mark Arber, Rob Sawyers; John Doolan, Eddie Newton (Ross Darcy, 65), Frazer Toms (Danny Brown, 56); Darren Currie, Ken Charlery, Scott McGleish (Ben Strevens, 87).

Subs, not used: Danny Naisbitt, Wayne Purser.

Bookings: None

Sendings-off: None

Evening Press/Unique Pub Man of the Match: Wayne Hall

Impeccable display. Superb in defence, coupled with the odd raid down the left flank.

Match Stats

York

Half-time 0

Corners 7

Shots on target 6

Fouls committed 9

Barnet

Half-time 0

Corners 6

Shots on target 1

Fouls committed 12

Attendance: 1,981

Referee: David Pugh (Wirral)

City's next match: v Darlington (Nationwide League - Division Three)

at Feethams, Saturday, September 2, 2000. KO 3pm

PICTURE: HORIZONTAL HOLD: Peter Duffield is airborne as he attempts a spectacular overhead kick against Barnet