IT might have been April 1, but nobody will be fooled into believing the hard work has been done at York City following their 3-0 home win over Braintree.

The Minstermen might know victory over Bromley on Tuesday night will now lift the club out of the bottom four for the first time since November.

Confidence should also be at a season-long high after completing back-to-back league wins for the first time in 14-and-a-half months – not to mention rattling off a fifth home triumph on the bounce.

But, with only six league games left to play, there will be no scope for complacency as football can have a nasty habit of kicking you in the teeth with the unforgiving ferocity of a Jon Parkin free kick.

Parkin started the scoring in the Minstermen’s latest contest with a sensational, set-piece strike on 11 minutes.

Midfielder Asa Hall went on to open his account with a very timely header just as the fourth official lifted his board to signal the length of stoppage time at the end of the first half.

The evergreen Parkin then turned provider for Amari Morgan-Smith to put the outcome beyond doubt on 76 minutes before receiving a standing ovation from the City faithful after being substituted at the death.

It was another vintage display from the 35-year-old veteran, with every one of his team-mates also contributing to an enjoyably comprehensive and comfortable victory.

For once, the Bootham Crescent die-hards, many of whom took advantage of the “Bring a Friend for a Fiver” initiative judging by the attendance figure, were not left feeling emotionally exhausted by the final whistle.

The hosts were instead treating their fans to some beautiful spells of patient possession football during those latter stages, underlining their superiority against a visiting team, who are one of three that Gary Mills’ men can now climb above in midweek.

Braintree had earlier started the game with the greater purpose and 23-goal, top-scorer Michael Cheek curled narrowly wide from a fifth-minute free kick.

But it was Parkin who drew first blood, smacking a dead-ball chance of his own into Sam Beasant’s top-right corner from 25 yards after Danny Holmes had won a foul.

Kicking unusually towards the Longhurst, City then went close to a second when Vadaine Oliver sidefooted wide from 15 yards after Dan Parslow pulled the ball back from the by-line when Hall’s left-wing corner fell to him at the far post.

Mills’ team survived a scare, though, just after the half-hour mark when Scott Loach could only punch a free kick, needlessly conceded by Holmes and delivered from the left touchline by Reece Hall-Johnson, as far as Cheek, whose looping 15-yard header bounced back into play off the crossbar.

Centre-back Jake Goodman went on to nod over from the resulting rebound when only a couple of yards in front of goal.

A diving Loach, meanwhile, was required to thrust out his right arm to keep out a curling Chez Isaac free kick, before the Minstermen grabbed the initiative again.

An alert Parkin stole into the six-yard box to flick a header over Beasant, only to see the ball hit the bar, but Hall made it 2-0 when he outjumped three of his team-mates at the far post to meet Morgan-Smith’s deep right-wing cross and find the net off the underside of the crossbar.

After the break, Holmes volleyed well over from the edge of the box after a flowing passage of play, while Jack Midson tried to catch Loach out, but to no avail, with his dipping 25-yard attempt.

Sub Joe Maybanks also cleared the bar from a similar distance, before the Minstermen regained full control of proceedings.

Midway through the second period, Oliver twice broke through the right channel, but directed his first opportunity straight at Bassett and then dragged a second across the face of goal.

Hall went on to drill narrowly over from 20 yards following further fluent football from the FA Trophy finalists.

An inevitable third goal duly arrived when Parkin used his presence to manoeuvre the ball towards Morgan-Smith, who showed determination to drive into the penalty box before clinically finding Beasant’s bottom-right corner from 15 yards.

After Alex Whittle had whistled a shot inches past the ex-Stevenage keeper’s left-hand upright and Oliver had gone almost as close after expertly controlling Sean Newton’s left-wing cross with his chest, Goodman hooked an eight-yard attempt over and Braintree’s final chance of a consolation went begging.

Moments later, the City crowd rose to their feet following the replacement of Parkin.

It was a touching Bootham Crescent moment and an acknowledgement of their appreciation for his contribution during this longest of relegation scraps.

The consecutive league triumphs, meanwhile, were the first since February 2016 when Notts County and Exeter were seen off.

City: Scott Loach; Dan Parslow, Hamza Bencherif, Sean Newton; Danny Holmes, Asa Hall, Adriano Moke, Alex Whittle; Vadaine Oliver, Jon Parkin (Sam Muggleton, 90), Amari Morgan-Smith.

Subs not used: Aidan Connolly, Scott Fenwick, Sean Rooney, Kyle Letheren.

Braintree: Sam Beasant, Sean Clohessy, Jake Goodman, Manny Parry, Jerome Okimo, Kris Twardek (Joe Maybanks, 55), Chez Isaac, Sam Corne (Kyron Farrell, 71), Reece Hall-Johnson, Michael Cheek, Jake Midson. Subs not used: Harry Lee, Lee Barnard, Christian Mbulu.

Braintree star man: Hall-Johnson – stayed positive all game

Referee: Tom Nield rating: 5/10 – fussy with free-kick decisions

Booked: Newton 38, Holmes 43

Attendance: 2,825 (41 from Braintree)

Shots on target: City 6, Braintree 3

Shots off target: City 8, Braintree 5

Corners: City 3, Braintree 8

Fouls conceded: City 11, Braintree 9

Offside: City 4, Braintree 0