YORK City kept their first clean sheet in 18 matches during a 0-0 home draw with Torquay.

The visitors’ goal led a charmed life with Gulls keeper Brendan Moore’s woodwork tested by Sean Newton, Jon Parkin and his own team-mate Sean McGinty.

Rhys Murphy, meanwhile, missed a glorious 89th-minute chance to secure a priceless three points for Gary Mills’ men.

Earlier, City keeper Kyle Letheren needed to display smart reflexes to push Ben Gerring’s firm ten-yard shot on the turn around his right-hand post following a third-minute free kick from the left.

The Minstermen manged their first attempt of the match on 19 minutes when Murphy stabbed wide from 12 yards after recalled skipper Simon Heslop had retrieved the ball from close to the right touchline.

Heslop and Murphy then combined to tee up a chance for Parkin and his opportunistic 20-yard chip beat Moore, but sailed just over the crossbar.

A raking ball out of defence by Newton from his own half also sent Parkin clear just before the half-hour mark, but he pushed his shot wide after Moore had charged out to the edge of his box to narrow the angle.

After an ambitious Aarran Racine drive from 40 yards sailed well over, David Fitzpatrick tested Letheren from just outside the penalty area and Murphy went on to aim a free kick too high for the hosts.

After the break, Newton drove a free kick into the David Longhurst Stand, before Moore was called into action for the first time on 53 minutes when he routinely gathered Daniel Nti’s 12-yard angled drive following good link-up play between Parkin and Murphy.

Parkin went on to clear the roof from 20 yards but was only denied by a superb flying save by Moore after he smacked a low cross from Nti towards goal first time.

Torquay were living on the edge and Newton headed against the bar from a 69th-minute corner with Courtney Richards clearing Shaun Rooney’s follow-up effort off the line.

A harassed McGinty then saw a sliced clearance loop over Moore but bounce out of play off the top of the bar.

Danny Holmes also fired over from 20 yards before a Newton piledriver whistled inches too high from a similar distance.

At the other end, Brett Williams beat Rooney for pace on the counter, but his drive from a narrow angle was kept out at his near post by Letheren.

The City keeper then did well to claw away Nathan Blissett’s close-range header from Fitzpatrick’s consequent corner. But the home side went back on the attack with Parkin’s header beating Moore, but bouncing back into play off an upright following Newton’s cross.

The same player also sent in another delivery that Murphy prodded wide at the near post.

AS the game entered its final throes, Murphy had City supporters briefly celebrating but his 12-yard drive brushed the sidenetting with just Moore to beat.

After Racine volleyed well over, Richards went close to grabbing an undeserved victory at the death when his 25-drive flashed just wide.