YORK City failed to net for a third successive home game as former keeper Nick Pope claimed yet another clean sheet on a victorious return to Bootham Crescent.

Pope’s Bury secured a 1-0 win thanks to Tom Soares’ ninth-minute strike, which proved the visitors’ only on-target attempt of the night.

Despite plenty of second-half huff and puff, though, the Minstermen lacked the attacking incision again to get something out of the game.

City boss Russ Wilcox made two changes to the side that started Saturday’s 0-0 home draw with on-loan strikers Shaq Coulthirst and Diego De Girolamo replacing Jake Hyde and Josh Carson in the first XI.

Coulthirst lined up on the left wing with De Girolamo employed just behind centre-forward Emile Sinclair.

The Minstermen fell behind on nine minutes after Brad Halliday had given away possession in midfield for the third time during the opening exchanges.

Joe Riley subsequently sprinted through the right channel and his low centre was confidently finished first time by Soares eight yards out.

At the other end, Halliday’s punted lob from close to the right touchline was caught under his own crossbar by Pope.

Sinclair, meanwhile, sidefooted wide of the far post from seven yards after being picked out by Michael Coulson from a left-wing corner.

Seconds before the interval, City could have fallen further behind after Keith Lowe gave the ball away to Nicky Adams but he shot against the roof of the David Longhurst Stand from 15 yards with only Bobby Olejnik to beat.

The half-time whistle then heralded boos from frustrated home fans who had seen their side produce poor attacking fare again with the side showing little strength to keep the ball in the final third, while over-complicating matters in possession.

Bury were back on the front foot after the restart and, at the end of a fast-flowing move on City’s rutted pitch, the dangerous Danny Mayor fired inches wide from 15 yards.

But the Minstermen responded with Coulthirst heading over from eight yards after a Coulson corner as Pope was uncharacteristically stranded.

Sinclair also fired across the face of goal with an angled 15-yard drive, while a long-range Marvin McCoy attempt sailed over.

A well-struck, 25-yard drive by Halliday, meanwhile, lacked the direction to beat Pope before City lost Coulson and Stephane Zubar to injury in quick succession.

Riley might have put the outcome beyond doubt on 82 minutes but, after waltzing past a flat-footed Lowe and McCoy in the penalty box, he shot wastefully wide.

City’s best chance of an equaliser came when substitute Jake Hyde intercepted a loose ball but could only fire into the sidenetting from an acute angle with Pope out of his goal on 90 minutes.