WHILE the world’s best snooker players continued to contest the UK Championship in York, 350 miles away the city’s footballers enjoyed their biggest break of the season at Plymouth.

The Minstermen have surrendered six points to stoppage-time equalisers this season and also been dumped out of the Capital One Cup by Doncaster in the same agonising fashion.

But, in deepest Devon, Russ Wilcox’s team were left celebrating a spot of overdue fortune of their own when Jake Hyde’s 94th-minute leveller secured a point at a Plymouth team who were closing in on an eighth consecutive home win.

Hyde’s fifth goal of the season earned the visitors a 1-1 draw after referee Tim Robinson decided to pull play back instead of exercising the advantage rule after Femi Ilesanmi had rode a foul by Kelvin Mellor.

The Plymouth wing-back was subsequently yellow carded and the resulting free kick – not one of Michael Coulson’s better dead-ball deliveries from the left flank – was headed away by the home defence.

But substitute Diego De Girolamo reacted swiftly to retrieve possession and sent in a low cross to the near post from the left byline.

After Hyde’s stooping header had been saved by Pilgrims shot-stopper Luke McCormick, he then pounced from a yard, with one swipe of his leg while prostrate, after the ball had fallen fortuitously back to him.

Having recorded their first victory from a losing position since 2012 at Hartlepool seven days earlier under Wilcox, the goal represented another encouraging reversal of deep-seated trends at the club.

It was also the reward for the visitors’ dogged determination to stay in a game that, for long periods, looked destined to herald Wilcox’s first league defeat on the road.

Performance wise, City were not at their most convincing and, in the first half, the Pilgrims might have better exploited big gaps in a square visitors’ back four that looked vulnerable to long balls through the channels.

Wilcox’s team were also struggling to check the runs of energetic wing-backs Kelvin Mellor and Andy Kellett, while returning on-loan Bristol City midfielder Bobby Reid was revelling in the freedom he was finding as the hosts outnumbered their opponents in that area of the pitch.

Along with Argyle’s obvious promotion credentials, there were other mitigating circumstances for City’s sluggish spells.

Off-colour centre-back Keith Lowe was fighting illness alongside Stephane Zubar in a defensive partnership that is very much in its infancy.

The influential Josh Carson, meanwhile, is still striving to regain full fitness on the field in only his second start and fourth outing since suffering cruciate knee ligament damage.

Both players missed excellent first-half chances to cancel out Reid’s deflected third-minute opener for the Green Army but gave their all even though they had made way by the time of Hyde’s last-gasp response.

Reid opened the scoring with the game’s first shot after his right-wing corner was returned to him inadvertently off the head of centre-back Peter Hartley.

He went on to sidestep a Luke Summerfield challenge and sent a curling shot over the head of a helpless Alex Cisak, courtesy of a heavy deflection off Ilesanmi, who had earlier conceded the flag kick.

At the other end, Summerfield hit a 25-yard chance well wide before Lowe rose to meet a curling Coulson left-wing free kick that tempted McCormick off the line, but his effort cleared the Pilgrims’ crossbar.

After Reid drove wide from 20 yards at the other end, Coulson forced McCormick into actionn from a similar distance before Carson blazed too high from eight yards with the goal at his mercy.

Persistent play by Wes Fletcher had set up both opportunities.

But, aside from a swerving, long-range Coulson drive, which was caught by McCormick, it was Plymouth who ended the half strongest.

Reuben Reid headed a far-post header at Cisak following a right-wing cross from his lively namesake.

The City keeper was also called into action from further edge-of-the-box efforts by the Ashton Gate reserve and Kellett.

In the second half, it was wasteful Plymouth finishing that prevented John Sheridan’s men from forging further ahead.

Just past the hour, an unmarked Dominic Blizzard fired over from ten yards after Mellor had pulled the ball back from the byline.

After the deftest of lobs by Mellor had then bounced wide of a beaten Cisak’s right-hand upright, Lewis Alessandra went on to balloon woefully over having burst clear on goal after turning Zubar too easily.

With 90 minutes on the clock, substitute Deane Smalley also fired too high from seven yards with a free shot on goal but, having gone almost eight-and-a-half hours without conceding at Home Park in the league since mid-September, such profligacy looked unlikely to trouble the hosts.

City’s only second-half threat, after all, had seen Coulson and Summerfield both miss the target with weak shots from distance and McCormick collect a poorly-directed Marvin McCoy cross from under his own crossbar.

The loyal travelling army of 150 City supporters went from the doldrums to delirium, however, when Hyde pounced after the minimum third minute of added-on time had already elapsed, suddenly rendering their 700-mile round trip wonderfully worthwhile.


Match facts

Plymouth 1 (B Reid 3), York City (Hyde 90+4)

York City

Alex Cisak: 8 – left helpless for the goal but, aside from one weak punch, handled with confidence.

Marvin McCoy: 7 – showed good adventure to get in good crossing positions although delivery let him down at times.

Keith Lowe: 7 – fought on valiantly despite feeling under the weather before fatigue set inn completely.

Stephane Zubar: 7 – given a few problems by movement of Plymouth strikers but stuck to his task.

Femi Ilesanmi: 7 – recovered from a difficult start to lead the charge for City’s equaliser.

Josh Carson: 6 – missed a great first-half chance and still needs time to get up to speed after serious injury.

Russell Penn: 8 – got his team going again after early goal by chasing balls in attack and helping out in defence.

Luke Summerfield: 7 – showed attacking intent even if final shot or pass could have been better.

Michael Coulson: STAR MAN 8 – link-up play was intelligent and free kick deserved a goal from Lowe.

Jake Hyde: 8 – quiet for spells but striker’s instinct saw him snaffle up his only chance of the game at second attempt.

Wes Fletcher: 8 – created chances with his driving runs through the channels.

Subs: Diego De Girolamo 7 – alert (for Carson, 61), John McCombe (for Lowe, 73), Carlton Morris (for Fletcher, 77). Not used: Michael Ingham, Brad Halliday, Lewis Montrose, Lindon Meikle.

Plymouth Argyle

Luke McCormick, Kelvin Mellor, Anthony O’Connor, Curtis Nelson, Peter Hartley, Andy Kellett, Lee Cox, Bobby Reid, Dominic Blizzard, Reuben Reid (Deane Smalley, 81) Lewis Alessandra. Subs not used: James Bittner, Ben Purrington, Ollie Norburn, Jason Banton, Tyler Harvey, Nathan Thomas.

Star man: Bobby Reid – at the centre of everything in first half.

Referee: Tim Robinson (West Sussex).

Rating: 6/10 – puzzling at times but no glaring errors.

Booked: Penn 38, Blizzard 52, McCoy 79, Mellor 93.

Attendance: 6,808 (150 from City).

Shots on target: Plymouth 7, City 5.

Shots off target: Plymouth 4, City 6.

Corners: Plymouth 6, City 2.

Fouls conceded: Plymouth 10, City 5.

Offsides: Plymouth 4, City 0.