York City extended their unbeaten run to ten games in a thrilling 3-2 victory at Tamworth.

The Minstermen became the First team to win at Tamworth’s Lamb Ground this season after fighting back from Richard Tait’s opening goal.

Andy Ferrell scored his first goal for City to level the scores but was later booked, meaning he will now miss Saturday’s trip to Salisbury due to suspension.

In the second half, Richard Brodie’s tenth goal of the season and a second in as many games from Djoumin Sangare saw City surge 3-1 ahead.

But Tait’s second of the game saw the visitors survive a late onslaught to secure all three points.

Earlier, strikers Michael Rankine and Brodie had both seen hopeful, long-range efforts miss the target during the opening exchanges.

Ferrell then forced the first save of the night when he burst into the penalty box after Brodie had helped on a long Michael Ingham punt but home goalkeeper Danny Alcock was quick off his line to smother at the former Kidderminster midfielder’s feet.

Tamworth, though, took the lead on 18 minutes when Tait rose highest in the City penalty box to meet Des Lyttle’s right-wing cross with a looping header that Michael Ingham could only help into his top right-hand corner.

Moments later, an alert Alcock again showed great anticipation to rush out and thwart Brodie, while Tait drilled into Ingham’s top corner from 25 yards but his impressive strike was disallowed with referee Dean Mohareb having signalled a foul on City’s Sangare a fraction of a second earlier.

Tait then delivered a free-kick that centre-back Michael Wylde glanced wide.

At the other end, Adam Smith’s free-kick to the far post was headed on to the top of the crossbar and over by Minstermen skipper Daniel Parslow before City got back on level terms in the 40th minute.

James Meredith’s forward pass found Brodie, whose back-heeled flick deflected off Wylde into Ferrell’s path.

The City midfielder then beat Alcock with a composed sidefooted finish into the Tamworth ’keeper’s bottom right-hand corner from 12 yards.

First-half stoppage time efforts then saw Tamworth’s Alex Rodman find the top of a 30-foot conifer behind the visitors’ end, while Sangare’s header from a Neil Barrett corner was blocked on the line.

City took that momentum into the second period with Rankine driving against Alcock’s near post from a narrow angle after a good run by winger Smith.

The home side, though, responded with a Bradley Pritchard shot that Ingham saved low to his right.

Rodman then missed the target with a free header after being picked out by another right-wing cross from 38-year-old veteran Lyttle.

City survived a scare just past the hour when an unfortunate ricochet off Ferrell fell to Rodman, who shrugged off the attentions of Meredith before his six-yard effort was well saved by Ingham.

Seconds later, the Minstermen broke up the other end to forge in front.

Ferrell’s left-wing cross picked out Brodie perfectly and he guided a downward header into Alcock’s bottom right-hand corner from six yards.

City were living on their nerve-ends again, though, two minutes later when Ingham charged out of his box to meet Nick Wright.

The Tamworth striker, though, beat Ingham to the ball and crossed into the box only for Ingham to race back to his vacated net and save Rodman’s shot.

Sangare looked to have eased any anxiety on 78 minutes when he netted with a far-post diving header after Ferrell’s left-wing free-kick had bounced across the face of Alcock’s goal.

Mackin, however, was fortunate not to concede a late penalty after a reckless challenge on Tait, who then headed his team back into the match in the 87th minute from another Lyttle delivery to the far post.

Five minutes of added-on time were signalled by the fourth official and, despite intense pressure from the home side, City came closest to adding to the scoreline when the ever-dangerous Brodie rattled the crossbar.

Match facts

Tamworth 2, (Tait 18, 88)
York City 3, (Ferrell 40, Brodie 61 Sangare 78)

Key: 10 – Faultless; 9 – Outstanding; 8 – Excellent; 7 – Good; 6 – Average; 5 – Below par; 4 – Poor; 3 – Dud; 2 – Hopeless; 1 – Retire

Michael Ingham 7
Ben Purkiss 7
Djoumin Sangare 7
Daniel Parslow 7
James Meredith 7
Adam Smith 7
Neil Barrett 7
Levi Mackin 7
Andy Ferrell 8
Michael Rankine 7
Richard Brodie 7

Substitutions:
Chris Carruthers (for Meredith, 66)....7
Alex Lawless (for Smith, 66)....7
Richard Pacquette (for Rankine,83)....
Not used: McGurk, Nelthorpe.

City’s star man: Ferrell – scored his first goal for the club and created the other two.

Tamworth: Danny Alcock, Des Lyttle (Seb Lake-Gaskin 90), Bradley Pritchard (Daniel Andrews 81), Michael Briscoe, Michael Blackwood, Richard Tait, Michael Wylde, Tom Shaw, Alex Rodman, Nick Wright, Jake Sheridan. Subs (not used): Gary Mills, Dale Belford, Nathan Koranteng.

Yellow cards: Meredith 48, Sheridan 81, Lyttle 85, Ferrell 90

Referee: Dean Mohareb (Cheshire)

Attendance: 1,118 (283 City fans)