LEE Barnard’s last-minute penalty denied York City their first away victory in 13 months at Braintree.

City keeper Kyle Letheren had earlier saved Sim Akinola’s first-half spot kick for the hosts after Simon Heslop had fired the visitors into a sixth-minute lead.

It now remains to be seen if the outcome represented the “positive result” that current chief Jackie McNamara was looking for to avoid tendering his resignation.

McNamara’s men made a purposeful start to the game and were ahead after just six minutes when Richard Brodie held the ball up before finding Shaun Rooney who, in turn, fed the overlapping Heslop through the right channel.

The skipper then drilled a low 15-yard effort across goal into the bottom corner.

Moments later, Brodie sent Danny Galbraith through the left channel but, with only Will Puddy to beat, he scuffed his 12-yard shot against the home keeper’s left-hand upright.

City then survived a 12th-minute scare after Heslop dangled out a leg to fell Akinola, but the Braintree striker’s penalty was saved low to his right by Letheren.

The visitors continued to look the better side and Puddy was quick out of his goal to smother well as Yan Klukowski charged through the right channel.

Teenage debutant Sam Fielding also sliced over from 30 yards, while Brodie was booked for diving after he appeared to be clipped in the penalty box.

After a Klukowski header drifted wide, Clovis Kamdjo also forced a save from Puddy when he leapt highest to meet Fielding’s right-wing free kick.

At the other end, a tame Akinola header failed to trouble Letheren, while Rooney shot wide for the Minstermen from the edge of the box on the stroke of half-time.

The hosts threatened more after the break with Letheren reacting well to keep out Chez Isaac’s drive from an acute angle and Kamdjo blocking Oli Muldoon’s follow-up effort.

Akinola’s six-yard overhead kick also flashed narrowly wide and, after sub Michael Cheek had charged through the right channel and shot past Letheren, Lanre Oyebanjo appeared to clear off the line.

A far-post Cheek header from Sam Matthews’ left-wing cross went on to clear the away bar, before the same player blasted a ten-yard attempt at Letheren, who collected the ball after it rebounded back off Muldoon.

But, after looking like they were about to hold out, referee David Rock spotted a nudge on Cheek and Barnard kept his composure to send Letheren the wrong way from 12 yards and find his bottom-right corner.