JON Parkin and Dan Parslow were on target as York City enjoyed a welcome 2-1 home win against Curzon Ashton.

The first-half efforts earned City their first victory in four contests, although Joe Guest did pull a goal back for the visitors early in the second half.

Martin Gray’s men pressed from the start with Parkin curling narrowly wide of Cameron Mason’s right-hand post from 20 yards with less than three minutes on the clock.

An edge-of-the-box Adriano Moke half-volley also called Mason into a flying save, before the City midfielder sent Aidan Connolly through the left channel but his 12-yard drive was parried away by the Curzon keeper.

The hosts made the breakthrough, though, on 17 minutes when Parkin won a long ball forward just outside the visitors’ penalty area.

Debutant Gary Martin then retrieved possession close to the left byline and squared for Parkin to sidefoot in from three yards out.

Curzon’s first attempt of the game came three minutes later, but Daniel Shaw’s header from a Guest corner was well off target.

At the other end, meanwhile, Martin curled well wide from distance after being picked out through the left channel by Parkin.

Martin also played in an overlapping Connolly down the right wing, but he curled wide of the far post after cutting inside, only for City to double their advantage on 32 minutes.

Skipper Sean Newton curled in a corner from the right and Parslow rose high to head powerfully into the roof of the net from three yards.

Newton went on to be denied twice by Mason before the break.

The latter used his feet to deny the former Wrexham left back after he had charged on to an Alex Whittle through ball and tried his luck with a right-footed attempt.

Mason went on to push Newton’s curling free kick around his left-hand upright.

In between, Shaw called Bailey Peacock-Farrell into an excellent fingertip save when he met Guest’s corner with his head for a second time before going on to drive over from long range.

The hosts started the second period with less purpose and Ben Wharton lifted over a 25-yard chance before Guest reduced the deficit on 56 minutes.

Invited to try his luck with Law backing off as the Nash’s left back cut in from the flank, Guest emphatically found Peacock-Farrell’s top-left corner from 20 yards.

After Martin hooked over from 12 yards, Peacock Farrell then safely gathered a weak edge-of-the-box James Baillie effort.

For City, Newton’s edge-of-the-box shot was smothered by Mason after James Gray and Martin combined to tee up the opportunity on 77 minutes and that proved the last goal attempt until Jordan Wright's hopeful 40-yard lob hit the roof of the Longhurst deep into stoppage time.