FIRST-HALF goals from Simon Heslop and Amari Morgan-Smith earned York City a 2-0 home victory over Stockport.

The three points saw Gary Mills’ men rack up back-to-back wins following the 4-2 midweek success at Spennymoor and move above their opponents in the higher reaches of the National League North table.

City started purposefully with Jon Parkin calling away keeper Ben Hinchliffe into his first save of the afternoon on two minutes, but the veteran striker’s downward header from a right-wing Sean Newton free kick lacked power.

Hinchliffe was more troubled by a 25-yard Louis Almond drive that he gathered at the second attempt and, after Theo Wharton and Newton combined to send Morgan-Smith sprinting through the left channel, was also relieved to see the City striker drag wide.

But the Hatters’ net-minder was beaten on 17 minutes when Newton’s throw from the left was only helped on by a Stockport defender at the near post and Heslop pounced to stab in from eight yards.

The Minstermen continued to probe with Newton curling wide from a free kick, before Morgan-Smith doubled the hosts’ advantage on 28 minutes.

Heslop was again involved playing a ball forward, with Morgan-Smith going on produce an excellent curling finish that found a helpless Hinchliffe’s top-left corner from 15 yards.

After an Almond attempt from distance was caught, Stockport appeared to have reduced the deficit on 35 minutes when Matty Warburton hit the inside of Jon Worsnop’s left-hand post after Parkin had sliced his clearance from a corner. The ball then travelled across the goal-line and a sliding Hamza Bencherif only succeeded in helping it into the net, only for the officials to have spotted an infringement and the goal was disallowed.

Immediately afterwards, Morgan-Smith broke clear at the other end, but Hinchliffe was quickly out of his goal to smother.

Parkin also headed wide and Newton fired straight at the Stockport keeper after Morgan-Smith had won an aerial ball.

Stockport did manage their second shot of the half on 43 minutes, but substitute Dan Cowan cleared the crossbar from 25 yards.

Determined play by Heslop, meanwhile, teed up a 20-yard chance for Newton on the stroke of half-time that he blasted just wide.

Following the interval, Worsnop gathered a low edge-of-the-box drive by Warburton after a poor touch by Wharton, while the ball sat up for Jason Oswell 15 yards out, but he volleyed unconvincingly off target.

For City, Newton bent a free kick wide, before Worsnop was again in the right position to collect another low Warburton effort from distance, as well as a Jimmy Ball drive after the County midfielder reached the edge of the box at the end of a strong run.

Almond forced Hinchliffe into his first second-half save on 71 minutes, cutting in from the left before trying his luck from the edge of the box following good play by Wharton.

At the other end, Warburton continued to threaten and stabbed just wide at the near post, following a right-wing raid by sub Adam Thomas.

Newton, meanwhile, saw a long-range attempt deflected well off target.

A deflected Alex Whittle cross was then tipped over by Hinchliffe, who also gathered a tame Kaine Felix shot and punched away Newton's free kick before the final whistle was blown after Scott Duxbury had tested Worsnop in stoppage time.