AT a stage of the season when the wheat starts to separate from the chaff, Ricky Miller ground out a 1-0 victory for Dover at York City.

It was a result that left the hosts eight points adrift of the National League play-off positions and only two above the relegation zone with just under a quarter of the campaign having been played.

The promise suggested by thumping victories over lowly pair Solihull Moors (4-0) and Woking (4-1) must now be translated into a sustained run of form, the like of which has so far eluded Jackie McNamara during his ten-month tenure.

McNamara’s longest unbeaten run as City chief still stands at three games during a league campaign.

After Miller netted on 20 minutes, the Minstermen lacked the belief or attacking cohesion, meanwhile, to add to the one previous occasion – against Woking - that the team have come back from behind to win maximum points during McNamara’s 43-match reign. City were also shaky defensively with makeshift right-back Ben Clappison given a torrid afternoon by Miller’s movement and centre-backs Jack Higgins and Matt Fry unsettled by Ross Lafayette’s muscular presence.

The home side looked thoroughly dispirited at the final whistle, which also prompted a chorus of boos and calls for McNamara to resign, while chairman Jason McGill was the subject of passionate demands from Main Stand supporters to sack the Scotsman.

Earlier, despite repeated instructions for his team to start games better, McNamara’s City were again second best during the opening exchanges.

Jim Stevenson’s 20-yard rising effort went close after just four minutes and Miller also called Kyle Letheren into action, before prodding wide under pressure from City skipper Simon Heslop after he had turned Clappison far too easily through the left channel.

The visitors’ leading marksman did find the net, however, after Fry appealed for a foul close to the halfway line, only for play to continue with midfielder Sammy Moore floating a diagonal ball over the head of Clappison.

Miller went on to finish emphatically from 15 yards with a low scot across goal and into Letheren’s bottom-left corner.

City skipper Heslop managed his side’s first shot of the game on 38 minutes, but his curling edge-of-the-box attempt was a comfortable height for Steven Arnold to collect.

Matty Dixon also directed a wayward long-range effort off target, before Miller escaped Clappison’s attentions again, but directed his shot straight at Letheren.

After the break, Dixon went closer with a low 25-yard strike and Higgins hooked over the bar following positive play by substitute Justin Johnson.

But Miller continued to threaten with a free kick, conceded by Clappison, which he curled inches wide and, after Heslop had drove to the edge of the box only to disappoint with his edge-of-the-box finish, Jack Parkinson missed an unbelievable chance to double Dover’s lead when he cleared the crossbar with his volley two yards from goal, created after Ricky Modeste had left three home defenders trailing in his wake and crossed in from the right.

Parkinson also headed over from a corner by Moore, who shot wide from outside the box.

At the other end, Higgins headed into Arnold’s arms from Heslop’s right-wing free kick, but the best opportunity for an equaliser fell to Kaine Felix in the second minute of stoppage time.

Felix was played clear through the left channel by sub Scott Fenwick, but Arnold smothered his shot well.

There was still time for Fenwick to head over from a Johnson cross, while Lafayette flashed a well-struck attempt wide after bulldozing his way into a shooting position.

City would subsequently end the game having failed to net for a third successive match for the first time since January 2015, while last season's beaten play-off, semi-finalists moved up to eighth.

City

Kyle Letheren: 6 – did what was required of him and tried to inject urgency into team

Ben Clappison: 5 – struggled to contain Miller and given a real run-around at times

Jack Higgins: 5 – dived in recklessly at times and lucky not to get cautioned before harsh booking

Matt Fry: 5 – brushed aside too easily on occasions by visitors and found physical contest difficult

Alex Whittle: 6 – defended with determination and fought hard to stop opposition playing

Matt Dixon: 5 – one decent shot but found going tough in the engine room

STAR MAN Simon Heslop: 6 – good range of short and long passes with spirit to drive forward

Kaine Felix: 5 – never the same threat down the right as he had been in previous two outings

Aidan Connolly: 5 – crowded out in middle of park and couldn’t make an impact

Daniel Nti: 5 – could have made better decision in final attacking third of pitch

Richard Brodie: 5 – didn’t get a single sight of goal and well contained by Grimes

Substitutes: Justin Johnson 6 – eager (for Nti, 53), Scott Fenwick 5 – quiet (for Connolly, 63).

Subs not used: Luke Simpson, Josh Robinson, Clovis Kamdjo.

Dover

Steve Arnold, Sam Magri, Jamie Grimes, Tyrone Sterling, Aswad Thomas, Jack Parkinson, Sammy Moore (Chris Kinnear Jnr, 86), Jim Stevenson, Ross Lafayette, Ricky Miller, Ricky Modeste (Loui Fazakerley, 90). Subs not used: Jahmal Howlett-Mundle, Moses Emmanuel, Ira Jackson Jnr.

Dover star man: Miller – class act with runs on and off the ball

Referee: Tom Nield rating: 5/10 – made some glaring errors

Booked: Higgins 71.

Attendance: 2,137 (121 from Dover)

Shots on target: City 3, Dover 4

Shots off target: City 6, Dover 10

Corners: City 5, Dover 7

Fouls conceded: City 14, Dover 11

Offside: City 1, Dover 5