JUSTICE was served last night according to York City manager Terry Dolan as his Minstermen came from a goal behind to claim a 1-1 draw with Wrexham.

Peter Duffield's 74th-minute equaliser cancelled out Steve Roberts' first-half opener for the visitors with the resultant point enough to lift City one place up the Division Three table to 13th.

The City chief conceded Wrexham had been the better side, in the first half especially, but maintained City were worthy of the draw.

"It is a good point," said Dolan.

"Although you could say Wrexham dominated the first, I thought we got better in the second.

"We were disappointed in the first because we gave them a little bit too much room and they were switching play too easily.

"But we got among them in the second half and all in all it was end to end and an exciting game and probably a just result in the end."

He added: "At last we have produced a better second half than first half, which we haven't done in the past.

"And what you have to remember is they are a useful team and we hadn't picked up a point against the teams who have come down from the Second Division until now so that is a bonus.

"You can see they have been playing Second Division football and they have some talented players.

"The pleasing thing from my point of view is the players believe in themselves, even if some other people didn't."

Another plus point for Dolan was the performance of Lee Nogan, who came off the bench in the second half to inject some drive in the City ranks.

"Lee Nogan has come on and looked bright which was pleasing," said the City boss.

"I explained to him last week that I wanted to give him a bit of a breather and I think that bit of rest has enabled him to get a bit of sharpness back now.

"That's part of a manager's job to see those things."

Dolan explained his decision to play 4-4-2 prompted a first League start for Craig Wilding.

"He played in central midfield against Lincoln (in the LDV Vans Trophy) and did quite well but we were short of someone to play on the right and we knew he could do a job there."

The formation also played a part in his decision to relegate defender Chris Smith to the bench.

"But I also wanted to give him a breather," explained Dolan.

"He is 20-years-old and has played every game this season and I wanted to give him a break mentally.

"I've been wanting to do it for a couple of weeks but I've not had the opportunity."

Although satisfied with the result, the City manager was less than happy with the performance of the officials.

He maintained the foul which led to the free-kick from which Roberts opened the scoring on nine minutes should never have been allowed.

Adding to the 'fiasco' said Dolan was the fact only two minutes of added time were signalled at the end of the first half, despite a lengthy delay when injured referee Mark Clattenburg had to be replaced by fourth official Martin Robinson

"That hold-up lasted at least four or five minutes," lamented the City chief, who was also irked by the brandishing of yellow cards to Nogan and Jon Parkin.

"As a team, lets just say the officials might have better games," he added.

The City manager is hopeful hamstring injuries suffered by defender Scott Jones and midfielder Lee Bullock last night will not rule them out of Friday's trip to table-toppers Hartlepool.

"They are not pulls, they are just tight so we are hoping they will be okay."

Updated: 11:52 Wednesday, October 30, 2002