YORK City held out for a point at Mansfield Town after defender Dave Winfield’s second goal in as many games had given the visitors an early lead.

Krystian Pearce levelled the scores for the Stags just after the half-hour mark and Jackie McNamara’s men then showed great determination to earn a share of the spoils as the hosts hit the bar twice and called Scott Flinders into impressive action during a second-half onslaught.

It was the Minstermen, though, that had made the early running with Femi Ilesanmi drilling over from an acute angle before Winfield opened the scoring on ten minutes.

James Berrett won a free kick on the left and Luke Summerfield’s delivery picked out an unmarked Winfield eight yards from goal.

The City centre back, with his back to goal, then appeared to use his heel to guide the ball into Brian Jensen’s bottom-left corner.

After Adam Chapman’s 25-yard free kick was caught at a comfortable height by Flinders, ex-Burnley keeper Jensen clawed away a far-post Vadaine Oliver header after Ilesanmi had released Bradley Fewster down the left.

Fewster also flashed a 15-yard chance across the face of Mansfield's goal after Oliver had won an aerial ball.

The Stags, though, began to win a series of corners with Chris Clements slicing wide from the edge of the box after Chapman’s left-wing delivery.

Ex-City favourite Matty Blair went on to shimmy past Russell Penn and Summerfield before seeing a 20-yard attempt deflected over and the hosts levelled from a 31st-minute flag kick.

Chapman crossed in from the right this time and Pearce climbed high to plant a powerful downward header into Flinders’ bottom-right corner from eight yards.

Mansfield started the second half strongly with Flinders smartly smothering a far-post Craig Westcarr chance before also holding on to Reggie Lambe’s rising 15-yard attempt.

At the other end, Fewster drove wide from 30 yards and also fired over from just inside the box after cutting inside from the left and leaving Mitchell Rose on his backside.

City survived a 64th-minute scare when Matt Green clipped the top of the crossbar from six yards after being picked out by substitute Nathan Thomas’ low left-wing cross.

Thomas also fired high and wide from 20 yards before Lambe rattled the Minstermen’s crossbar from a similar distance.

An ambitious 35-yard Thomas effort went on to miss the target and Green’s edge-of-the-box shot required a flying save from Flinders after Danny Galbraith had surrendered possession in a dangerous position.

Moments later, Jensen kept out Galbraith’s attempt from an unfavourable angle at the other end but Flinders had to produce a stunning save on 84 minutes from Adi Yussuf’ ten-yard header after Chapman’s left-wing cross.

But the visitors also had their late chances with Oliver shooting speculatively wide from 30 yard and Penn’s spectacular 25-yard strike flashing narrowly wide.