TAKING three points from your home games is usually the demand of sides with serious intentions of promotion.

However, after York City and Hartlepool United were forced to share the spoils for the second time this season, it is hard to not look upon this solitary point as one gained rather than two dropped for the Minstermen.

Sometimes you just have to accept the opposition are a better outfit.

And on Saturday night, United underlined just why they have managed to open up an 11-point gap at the top of the Division Three table.

Indeed, it is worth noting City are only the second team in nine outings now to have taken a point from Mike Newell's side.

In such circumstances, the point looks ever more prized and, if nothing more, was rich reward for another resilient, defensive performance from the Minstermen as they stretched their unbeaten run to six games.

For all Hartlepool's undoubted possession and class, they've failed to score against City this season and that has to be another cause for comfort.

If there was cause for criticism to be levelled, it was that the Minstermen's passing failed to match their doggedness and determination.

In the second half, City hardly got a sniff of the ball, never mind a touch, as Hartlepool pressed relentlessly.

It was hard to point the finger at the men in red, you just had to sit back and admire the United whirlwind as it swept forward.

But in the first half, City had opportunities to take the game to the visitors only to be undone time and again by a sloppy pass or a rushed ball forward.

Errors littered City's attacking thrust with the Minstermen's only real opportunities of note a shot from the edge of the area from Anthony Shandran and a Jon Parkin header from 12 yards, both comfortably saved by Anthony Williams in the 'Pool goal.

To be fair, up against City's resolute rearguard, United struggled to make chances of their own, Tommy Widdrington's rising drive from the penalty spot, sharply grabbed by Michael Ingham, was about their clearest opportunity.

But the visitors were just that bit more fluent and slicker than a stuttering City and, you sensed, had a few more gears in reserve.

So it proved as United start the second half at breakneck speed and never really let up until the final whistle.

If Ingham had been pretty much a bystander in the first half the on-loan shot-stopper certainly proved his worth after the break.

The Northern Ireland Under-21 international produced a wonderful one-handed save to deny Adam Boyd as the young striker raced clear then showed fine reactions again to keep out Eifion William's low drive with his legs.

In between, City were fortunate to see Graeme Lee's far post header hit the post as Hartlepool turned the screw and cranked up the pressure.

The Minstermen just couldn't get hold of the ball to clear their lines, leaving Parkin and Lee Nogan to feed on little more than scraps in attack.

City's only genuine sight of goal in the second half fell to Graham Potter, but after picking up Tom Cowan's carefully weighted pass on the overlap his low shot was parried by Williams.

Instead of attacking flair and more goalscoring opportunities, City fans were left to cheer a series of finely timed interceptions and tackles from skipper Chris Brass, who rode to the rescue on more than one occasion as City held out.

It was perhaps not the television spectacular everyone had hoped for but City had made their point to the nation.

They showed character and determination by the bucket-load if no real attacking flair. As such, a point of order was more than satisfactory.

City: Ingham 8, Cooper 7, Smith 7, Brass 8, Jones 7 (Wise 83m), Cowan 6, Potter 6, Bullock 7, Nogan 6 (Mathie 89m), Parkin 8, Shandran 6 (Fox 46m, 6) .

Subs, not used: Collinson, Wood.

Goals: None Bookings: None.

Sent-off: None.

Hartlepool: A Williams, Barron, Westwood, Lee, Robinson, Clarke, Tinkler, Widdrington, Humphreys, Boyd (Henderson 83m), E Williams.

Subs, not used: Provett, Arnison, Richardson, Sweeney.

Goals: None.

Bookings: None. Sent-off: None.

REF: Steve Baines (Chesterfield)

ATTENDANCE: 5,953

Man of the match: Chris Brass

Another captain's performance.Held things together at the back and made a number of vital challenges at the death.

Updated: 09:16 Monday, February 17, 2003