York City dropped their first points since Halloween after a keenly-fought contest at Histon.

The Minstermen, who were bidding for a tenth successive league win, had to settle for a point in Cambridgeshire having been held to a 1-1 draw.

Ben Purkiss opened the scoring for City on 20 minutes but Bradley Hudson-Odoi levelled before the break, meaning the visitors missed out on a chance to close the gap to two points on Blue Square Premier leaders Stevenage.

Set-piece specialists Histon forced their first corner of the night in the opening minute with skipper Matthew Langston heading wide from Lee Smith’s flag kick.

Moments later, City ’keeper Michael Ingham charged off his line and clattered into Andrew Tidswell, who had escaped James Meredith’s attentions through the right channel.

Ingham was cautioned with Alex Lawless following him into referee Andy Hendley’s book for a late challenge on Lanre Oyebanjo.

Former Forest Green midfielder Lawless had earlier driven wide from 25 yards and the Minstermen broke the deadlock on 20 minutes.

Michael Rankine rolled a square pass across the edge of the box to find Purkiss, who drilled a first-time angled drive into Danny Naisbitt’s bottom right-hand corner.

Histon managed their first on-target effort three minutes later when Tidswell’s rising ten-yard attempt was saved by Ingham.

The visitors continued to threaten from dead-ball situations with Nat Knight-Percival heading over from a Smith corner.

Lawless then fired over from 25 yards at the other end and Chris Carruthers saw his deflected shot spin wide from a similar distance.

But the hosts levelled the scores on 43 minutes when Luke Graham was penalised for climbing.

Gareth Gwillim swung the subsequent free-kick to the far post and, with Ingham choosing to stay on his line, Smith prodded the ball back across the face of goal for Hudson-Odoi to convert from two yards out at the opposite upright.

It was the first goal City have conceded in five matches but Histon went close to taking a half-time lead when Naisbitt launched a free-kick from the half-way line into visitors’ box and Knight-Percival headed over.

The visitors started the second half promisingly with Michael Gash’s well-struck half-volley from 15 yards out parried low to his right by Naisbitt.

Meredith sliced off target with a rushed follow-up effort.

At the other end, Ingham kept out Hudson-Odoi’s scuffed shot at his near post while Levi Mackin, still searching for his first goal in City colours, saw his long-range lob beat Naisbitt but drift wide on 66 minutes.

David McGurk then executed a perfectly-timed tackle to stop Oyebanjo in his tracks after his strong run to the edge of the City penalty area.

The match then petered out as both sides made a series of late substitutions to preserve their points.


Match facts

Histon 1 (Hudson-Odoi 43), York City 1 (Purkiss 20)

York City: Michael Ingham 7, Daniel Parslow 8, Luke Graham 7, David McGurk 8, James Meredith 7, Ben Purkiss 7, Alex Lawless 7, Levi Mackin 8, Chris Carruthers 7, Michael Gash 7, Michael Rankine 7.

Substitutions: Richard Pacquette (for Gash, 74), Djoumin Sangare (for Purkiss, 89).

Subs not used: Courtney Pitt, Neil Barrett, Kevin Gall.

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

City’s star man: McGurk – held the back four together in typical fashion.


Histon: Danny Naisbitt, Lanre Oyebanjo, Matthew Langston, Adam Bygrave, Gareth Gwillim, Lee Smith (Erkan Okay, 90), Adam Tann, Glen Southam, Bradley Hudson-Odoi (Daniel Sparkes, 90), Nat Knight-Percival, Andrew Tidswell (Michael Frew, 75).

Subs (not used): Callum Stewart, Joe Welch.

Yellow cards: Ingham 8, Lawless 19.

Referee: Andy Hendley (West Midlands).

Shots on target: Histon 3, City 2.

Shots off target: Histon 4, City 5.

Corners: Histon 4, City 5.

Fouls conceded: Histon 12, City 15.

Offsides: Histon 2, City 2.

Attendance: 487.