YORK City ended a run of seven successive away defeats with a gritty 2-0 triumph at Ashton United.

The Minstermen capitalised quickly on home winger Scott Sephton's second-half sending off with Macaulay Langstaff ending the Minstermen's eight-and-three-quarter hour wait for a goal on their travels in the 76th minute.

Joe Tait went on to make the points safe with his first goal in City colours, as the visitors secured their second victory of the campaign.

Earlier, Ashton had attacked City straight from the kick off and, after just 47 seconds, Liam Tomsett glanced a header wide from Matthew Regan’s left-wing cross.

Tomsett also saw an early ten-yard volley on the turn find the trees behind the away goal.

The lively Dom McHale, meanwhile, cut in from the right before firing past Adam Bartlett’s far post.

With Jon Parkin on the bench, City were again struggling to create any chances at the other end and Tom Allan’s 31st-minute header from Kallum Griffiths’ free kick called home net-minder Josh Ollerenshaw into his first action of the night, but the effort was routinely gathered.

Moments later, Allan blazed a 20-yard half-volley high and wide, before a tame shot by Robins striker Nic Evangelinos from the same distance failed to extend Bartlett.

On 37 minutes, Adriano Moke’s weak edge-of-the-box shot trickled wide, before the visitors threatened twice from right-wing Griffiths free kicks before the break.

The first saw Tait knocked off balance by team-mate Hamza Bencherif, causing his header to miss the target.

Allan’s powerful downward header at the far post then saw Ollerenshaw make a smart save to push the ball behind for a corner.

After the restart, McHale burst clear from the halfway line, but Wes York recovered well to put the Ashton winger under pressure before his 15-yard shot was pushed behind by Bartlett.

For City, Allan’s 20-yard, right-footed attempt was unconvincingly fumbled around an upright by Ollerenshaw, before Matthew Hill fired over from the same range after the home side played on with Moke lying down injured close to the halfway line.

Moke subsequently went off using his shirt as a sling to nurse a shoulder problem and, on 63 minutes, Langstaff’s 20-yard shot was collected at the second attempt by Ollerenshaw, before United's Casian Anghel blasted into the sidenetting from a Tomsett cross and Regan fired across the face of City’s goal after raiding through the left channel.

Parkin, on as a sub, went on to see an ambitious 45-yard effort bounce well wide before Sephton was given his marching orders after collecting a second yellow card in nine minutes having clattered into York.

Just three minutes later, the Minstermen had made the breakthrough when Allan’s left-wing throw was not dealt with in the six-yard box and Langstaff pounced from close range to force a scrambled shot past Ollerenshaw.

City went on to double the lead on 84 minutes when Griffiths sent in another inviting free kick - this time from the right - and Tait powerfully headed in at the far post.

Moments later, Parkin's 20-yard shot proved a good height for Ollerenshaw, while home sub Craig Hobson headed a late chance for a consolation over.

City ratings
Adam Bartlett 7
Kallum Griffiths 8
Joe Tait 8 
Hamza Bencherif 7
Tom Allan 8
Wes York 6 
Russ Penn 7 
Adriano Moke 6 
Jake Wright 6
Macaulay Langstaff 7  
Jordan Burrow 6  
Substitutes: Jon Parkin 6 (for Wright, 55), Josh Law 6 (for Moke, 60), David Ferguson (for Penn, 86).
Subs not used: Dan Parslow, Ryan Whitley.
Star man: Tait – imposing presence at both ends of the pitch

Ashton United: Josh Ollerenshaw, Mark Lees, Matthew Hill, Samuel Sheridan, Matthew Regan, Scott Sephton, Aaron Chalmers, Casian Anghel (Craig Hobson, 67), Dom McHale, Liam Tomsett, Nic Evangelinos (John McAtee, 71). Subs not used: John Roberts, Bohan Dixon, Kyle Jacobs.
Ashton star man: McHale – threatened with his direct runs in possession 

Referee: Lewis Smith: 7/10 – decisive and made few contentious calls 
Booked: Wright 35, Regan 45+1, Sephton 64, Sheridan 83
Sent off: Sephton 73
Attendance: 545

Shots on target: Ashton 5, City 7
Shots off target: Ashton 6, City 5
Corners: Ashton 4, City 6
Fouls conceded: Ashton 14, City 12
Offside: Ashton 1, City 2