YORK City were denied a first win in three games when they conceded an 89th-minute equaliser at Tamworth.

Darryl Knights struck at the death to earn the hosts a share of the spoils, meaning the Minstermen have still kept only one clean sheet – against rock-bottom North Ferriby – in 23 matches.

Scotsman Aidan Connolly had earlier opened the scoring in a second half that also saw both teams hit the frame of the goal.

Connor Brown dragged the first chance of the afternoon well wide from 25 yards after home captain Luke Jones had headed away Sean Newton’s fifth-minute corner.

At the other end, Tom Shaw’s edge-of-the-box effort was deflected off target by unwitting team-mate Bradley Reid and, with City undermanned in the box as Jonny Burn received treatment, Jones rose highest to meet a Knights corner, only for Brown to head off the line.

Newton, meanwhile, headed wide from a Simon Heslop free kick, before Reid might have done better when he steered a seven-yard chance over after Knights had attacked a big hole in City’s defensive left channel.

The Minstermen were also caught out four against three moments later, but Shaw sidefooted wide from 15 yards.

Right-winger Connor Smith called home keeper Jack Stevens into action for the first time on 35 minutes when his rising shot was tipped over at the near post.

Heslop then saw a deflected attempt dip over from just outside the penalty area and, when Stevens dropped Newton’s resulting corner, Raul Correia could not scramble the ball over the line, before Brown blazed too high from 30 yards.

On the stroke of half-time, Reid had two headed chances to break the deadlock, but aimed too high following Rhys Sharpe’s left-wing cross and glanced wide after Knights’ centre from the opposite flank.

After the break, Reid missed another opportunity to net when he somehow missed the target from three yards having been picked out unmarked by Knights’ inswinging free kick.

City responded to that let-off with Hamza Bencherif heading against the outside of Stevens’ near post following Newton’s right-wing corner. A Connolly attempt also bounced wide and Smith saw a shot diverted away from goal after a positive run through the right channel.

The Lambs continued to threaten on the counter, though, with Callum Powell sprinting through the right channel, only to be denied by a Bartlett parry.

Adriano Moke went on to see a curling 15-yard effort plucked out of the air by Stevens, with Heslop and Newton both clearing the crossbar shortly afterwards.

At the other end, Aman Verma’s header from a Joel Kettle free kick hit Bartlett’s left-hand upright and then bounced behind off the relieved City keeper’s back.

Newton brushed the top of the net from 20 yards, meanwhile, before Bartlett safely gathered Powell and Knights efforts.

The breakthrough came on 73 minutes when Connolly picked up the ball 25 yards from goal and his shot gathered pace off the 3G surface to beat Stevens low to his left.

In reply, Powell tried his luck with an edge-of-the-box shot that was collected comfortably by Bartlett despite two deflections and Reid was wasteful again, dragging wide from ten yards when afforded another clean sight of the away goal.

But Tamworth drew level from their next chance when City failed to clear a throw-in from the right and Knights thumped a 15-yard shot into the roof of the net.

After Smith headed wide from a David Ferguson cross, Sam Coulson and Knights also missed the target in stoppage time as the honours ended even.