YORK City secured a 2-2 draw with an unbeaten Solihull Moors at the LNER Community Stadium thanks to birthday boy Maziar Kouhyar.

Thierry Latty-Fairweather’s first-half opener was cancelled out by Solihull in the second half, with goals from Callum Maycock and Josh Kelly, before a sublime finish from Kouhyar earned York a point on home soil.

It’s a valuable point for Neal Ardley against his former employers, who he departed at the beginning of the Vanarama National League season, against a Solihull Moors side that have began the campaign unbeaten in their opening 13 matches.

Saturday’s result sees the Minstermen lingering above the dreaded relegation zone in 20th position after accumulating 11 points, whilst the Moors continue to track the top two, Chesterfield and Barnet, from third position.

Dipo Akinyemi had almost put Neal Ardley’s side ahead with a venomous strike from close-range, only to be denied by Moors shot-stopper Toby Simkin.

Pressure from City eventually prevailed with Latty-Fairweather bending an effort past Simkin to put York ahead.

Solihull equalised just a minute into the second half, with some less than desirable defending allowing Maycock to squeeze the ball into Ryan Whitley’s far corner.

And the Moors were ahead in the contest after a clumsy foul on the edge of the box allowed Joe Newton to bend the ball onto the head of Kelly, who directed a clinical header into the far corner.

City did clinch a point however, with substitute Kouhyar bending a strike through four bodies before seeing his effort nestle into the bottom corner.

Ardley admitted during the week that the shape he’d play would depend on the availability of his players, and it showed with the Minstermen altering to a 5-3-2 formation.

The City boss made four changes from the York side that fell to a whimpering 4-2 defeat to Barnet in midweek, with Tyler Cordner, Lenell John-Lewis, Paddy McLaughlin and Olly Dyson all being introduced into the side.

Ardley also named an extremely attacking bench, with three wingers and a striker, as well as a goalkeeper, being named in today’s squad.

York would welcome back two former City players to North Yorkshire, with Mark Beck and Gus Mafuta both starting for Andy Whing’s side.

Solihull had started the season unbeaten and were hard to keep out, but City defended well in the early stages of the match as Kelly was dispossessed in the box, with the referee ruling out a potential penalty to the disbelief of Whing.

McLaughlin had his first involvement after being brought into the side, latching onto a loose ball on the edge of the box and driving into dangerous territory, but his strike was blocked and scrambled clear.

Mafuta was welcomed back to the LNER Community Stadium, with a volleyed effort from 30-yards out, but his audacious effort cleared the City stand.

City captain John-Lewis did have the ball in the back of the net when meeting a Ryan Fallowfield cross, but the linesman’s flag thwarted York their opener.

York did pick up momentum towards the end of the first half and put the pressure on the visitors, with Akinyemi coming agonisingly close to putting City ahead when forcing Simkin into a low save from close-range.

Akinyemi was again involved with an arrowed header that rose narrowly over the crossbar from Dyson’s cross.

And with the Minstermen on top, they made it count with the opener.

A pass into John-Lewis was bravely blocked by Richard Stearman, before McLaughlin swept the loose ball wide into the path of Latty-Fairweather, who netted his second of the season when curling the ball through a crowd of bodies and into the back of the net.

But despite a first half to be pleased with for Ardley, he will have been disappointed with City’s start to the second forty-five.

Just one minute into the second half, Solihull drew the scores level.

Some defending that City won’t be pleased with, as the ball trickled into the box before Solihull midfielder Maycock squeezed an effort through a crowd of bodies, and into Whitley’s far corner.

Whitley would be called into action just two minutes later, parrying Beck’s powerful header wide of the target from close-range.

And Solihull would double their advantage just after the hour mark, with Kelly handing the visitors the lead.

Newton’s cross after a foul from Dyson allowed Kelly the space to leap highest and direct a header into Whitley’s far corner, netting his sixth of the season.

York grew back into the game with Akinyemi and John-Lewis both having chances, but Simkin was on hand to temporarily keep the Moors head.

But with just over ten minutes remaining, Kouhyar marked his birthday with a goal.

After Solihull failed to deal with the winger’s free-kick, Kouhyar latched onto possession before bending a low effort through a crowd of bodies, earning the Minstermen a crucial point and their fourth point in seven days.

York City: Whitley 6, Fallowfield 6, Howe 6, Smith 6, Cordner 6, Latty-Fairweather 7 (Siziba, 86), McLaughlin 7, Woodyard 7 (Kouhyar 8, 57), Dyson 7, John-Lewis 6 (Marsh, 81), Akinyemi 7

Subs not used: Watson, Kennedy

Goals: Latty-Fairweather (43), Kouhyar (78)

Yellow cards: Dyson (65)

Solihull Moors: Simkin, Clarke, Morrison, Stearman, Craig, Newton, Maycock, Mafuta, Osborne (Labadie, 52), Kelly (Stevens, 81), Beck

Subs not used: Barratt, Ryley, Brogan

Goals: Maycock (47), Kelly (66)

Yellow cards: Labadie (90)

York’s star man: Maziar Kouhyar. A brilliant impact from the winger off of the bench, who netted a fantastically-taken equaliser and made his presence known going forward.

Referee: Dale Baines

Attendance: 3940 (125)

Shots (on target): 4 (6) | 4 (4)

Corners: 2 | 0

Offsides: 3 | 1

Fouls committed: 10 | 5