JON Parkin and Shaun Rooney were on target as York City came from behind twice to earn a 2-2 draw at promotion hopefuls Dover.

City trailed twice to goals in each half from home pair Jamie Grimes and Ricky Miller.

But Gary Mills’ men showed real character to take a share of the spoils following Rooney’s header four minutes after he had conceded the penalty for Dover’s second goal.

The match was an open affair from the start with a slip from home midfielder Jim Stevenson sending Sean Newton clear through on goal after just 43 seconds.

But the former Wrexham midfielder’s poor touch saw the ball roll straight to relieved home keeper Steve Arnold.

Stevenson went on to lift a 15-yard chance over after Moses Emmanuel had troubled Shaun Rooney down the left before the hosts forged in front on six minutes.

A Sammy Moore free kick from the right to the far post saw Rooney’s weak clearance fall straight to Grimes, who beat Kyle Letheren from seven yards.

Chances continued to be created at both ends with Rhys Murphy’s edge-of-the-box shot on the turn gathered by Arnold and Miller’s dipping 20-yard half-volley clearing Letheren’s bar.

But the Minstermen then began to dictate proceedings only for Matt Fry to hoof an excellent opportunity out of the ground after the ball fell to him 12 yards from goal.

Aarran Racine’s far-post header, meanwhile, lacked the power to trouble Arnold from Simon Lappin’s left-wing free kick.

The former Forest Green keeper had his hands stung, though, when he beat away a powerful 25-yard drive by Simon Heslop, while Newton hit the scoreboard from just outside the penalty area.

Murphy called Arnold into routine action from close to the left touchline, a Fry header bounced wide and Heslop shot straight at Arnold from 15 yards as the visitors continued to threaten.

The home side responded with Miller blasting across the face of goal after brushing past Yan Klukoswki through the right channel and a ricocheted Emmanuel header found Letheren’s arms.

City drew level, though, after Lafayette failed to cut out a Klukowski through ball and Rooney’s rising drive was pushed over by Arnold after he charged through the right channel.

From the resulting corner, Lappin swung in a dangerous delivery and, after the ball fell to Parkin, he blasted in from eight yards.

An entertaining half came to a close when a stretching Lafayette cleared the bar from six yards after Miller had pulled the ball back from the left byline.

After the interval, Parkin was denied twice in quick succession – both times from Lappin free kicks – seeing a header cleared off the line by Tyrone Sterling and then smashing a ten-yard attempt against the outside of Arnold’s left-hand post.

For Dover, Grimes glanced a header wide from Miller’s floated free kick to the far post and, after Parkin’s attempted lob was grabbed out of the air by Arnold, Lafayette called Letheren into action from 25 yards.

Sam Magri’s ambitious 35-yard free kick also bounced wide and a hopeful Stevenson effort from a similar distance sailed over before Dover were handed a chance to forge back in front.

A clumsy kick by Rooney in the penalty box felled Miller and the Dover striker dusted himself down before sidefooting to Letheren’s right from the spot to claim his 30th goal of the season on 73 minutes.

But Rooney made amends four minutes later when he headed powerfully in from ten yards after Newton sent in a left-wing free kick, won by Parkin close to the halfway line.

Subs Luke Woodland and Daniel Nti had further opportunities on 85 minutes – the former drilling just wide from the edge of the box and the latter driving at Arnold after cutting in from the left.

On the stroke of the third and final minute of stoppage time, Ntil then broke clear through the left channel, but Arnold was quick out of his goal to smother the former Worcester winger’s shot.