YORK City sporting director Dave Penney admitted 25-goal striker Jon Parkin was still affected by a muscle strain during a 2-2 draw with play-off rivals Spennymoor.

Parkin completed the full 90 minutes after passing an afternoon fitness ahead of the game, having been withdrawn at half-time during the 5-3 midweek victory at Telford.

But City’s goals were scored by Jonny Burn and Aidan Connolly as Parkin was kept off the scoresheet for a second successive match and Penney said: “Jon’s a massive player for us and we needed him out there, because he’s a focal point and his ability to cause problems allows other people to get in on goal as well.

“He had a fitness test at 1pm and got through it, but he wasn’t 100 per cent.”

The Minstermen led twice, but were forced to settle for a share of the spoils following replies from Ryan Hall and sub Andrew Johnson.

Martin Gray’s men were 1-0 in front at the break and might have doubled that advantage, but for a brilliant block by Moors captain Chris Mason after Raul Correia had rounded keeper Jordan Porter.

After the restart, however, the visitors fought back and might have snatched a sixth straight victory at the death when City keeper Adam Bartlett was at full stretch to push away a Mark Anderson free kick.

The home side were also targeting a sixth successive success and Penney declared: “It was a good game of football between two decent teams, who were both trying to win and are probably level in terms of ability, as well as league position. We had a couple of first-half chances that, if we had taken one and made it 2-0, it might have been a different game.

“Being ultra-critical, you want to score when Raul (Correia) goes through on goal and it was also disappointing to lose a lead twice. We didn’t manage to see the game out and take three points, but it was important to keep our little run going and, if you can’t win, it’s important you come away with something.”

City lost Simon Heslop at half-time prior to Hall’s 52nd-minute equaliser and, before he left the pitch shortly afterwards, Hamza Bencherif was carrying an injury when Johnson levelled.

On the enforced substitutions, Penney added: “Even though Josh Law and Dan Parslow both did really well when they came on, the changes disrupted our momentum a bit. Simon Heslop suffered a recurrence of the groin and hamstring pull he’s been feeling.

“There might also have been a bit of fatigue after the first 90 minutes he’d played in a while on a heavy pitch at Telford. Hamza was injured and then his man scored from the corner for the second goal when he was limping around but, if he had gone off for treatment, we would have been down a man anyway.

“He got two or three kicks on his knee in the game, but I can’t imagine it will keep him out next Saturday.”

Connor Brown, meanwhile, made his debut at right back following a loan move from Guiseley that will keep him at Bootham Crescent until the end of the season.

The 24-year-old defender, who only met his new team-mates for the first time at the game, has also played for Oldham and Carlisle in the past and, on the reasons for his arrival, Penney explained: “We’ve been conceding too many goals and needed to tighten up.

“Connor became available because there are so many players going into Guiseley at the moment. Some have to go out too and I’ve got my finger on the pulse in that area.

“He was great for us at Guiseley last season and has played a lot of games in the National League this season as well, so is more than good enough to play at this level. He gives us know-how and gets tight to wingers.

“I think David Foley is regarded as their best player, but he had to go off injured and he’s got that knack of getting the better of players.”