Two points dropped or one point gained, whatever your standpoint signs of progress from which to take comfort.

City striker James Turley (right), in the starting eleven in place of Barry Conlon, gets a yard on Gregor Rioch

A first goal and a point away from home - the first on the road since taking charge - Terry Dolan would know doubt have settled for a 1-1 draw before last night's trip to Moss Rose.

And it was a point he would have snapped your hand off for after typically, but undeservedly, City fell behind once and then seemingly again just as half-time approached.

However, with that second goal ruled out and Macclesfield reduced to ten men as a result, the wheel of fortune at long last seemed to be turning for City.

But as with Exeter less than two weeks ago, so a numerically superior City came unstuck and unsure and it was Macclesfield, snarling at a perceived injustice, who came closest to snatching a win.

Despite the disappointment, credit to the Minstermen, under pressure to get at least something from the game, for coming from behind and sticking grimly to their task.

And credit too for a vastly improved performance, particularly in the first half, compared to the flaccid fare served up at Peterborough on Saturday.

City earned their first corner and registered their first shot on target with less than 12 minutes on the watch last night.

Hardly anything to write home about but visible progress; the same task took some 90-odd minutes to complete at London Road.

Progress too up front, where the Little and Large show in James Turley and Mark Sertori took centre-stage, and in midfield.

When Kevin Hulme and Steve Agnew start together City never lose and the Minstermen engine room certainly had a better shape with the experienced twosome taking charge of proceedings.

In the opening quarter, it was hard to recognise a team that had not won and scored just once in six.

Paul Talbot, still getting to grips with the harum-scarum nature of Division Three, worked his way in behind the Macclesfield defence - another first for City for sometime - and whipped in a delicious low cross that just evaded the foot of Turley.

A Lee Bullock slide-rule pass split the Silkmen defence in two. Sertori charged through the parting to force at least a save from Tony Williams in the Macclesfield goal.

Teenager Marc Thompson, favoured to Matt Hocking at right back and increasing in confidence with every game, then clipped the sort of ball over the top Dolan has been craving for.

Sertori strode forward again with purpose only for the ball to skid off the wet surface and up into the arms of Williams.

But just as the confidence started to seep through the side so the high hopes were suddenly punctured.

Simon Davies, the former Manchester United player, emerged from a clump of players out wide on the left to send in a teasing cross.

The ball threatened to evade everyone until forgotten man Kieron Durkan took advantage of the wet surface to slide in and toe-poke the ball home at the far post.

Typical City.

Untypically City, the Minster-men were soon back on level-terms.

Peter Hawkins floated in a free-kick up to Sertori who controlled and laid the ball into the path of Hulme.

The former Macclesfield man hardly broke stride as he thumped the ball into the bottom corner from at least 25 yards.

It was no more than City deserved.

But then came the incident that turned the match.

Clearly seeking retribution for a heavy Marc Thompson challenge that went unpunished, Simon Davies took out his frustration on Lee Bullock with a nasty stamp just as City cleared their lines.

The ball swiftly returned to where Bullock lay prone. Richard Barker, otherwise off-side, curled in another cross to the far post and this time it was John Askey who slid in to claim a goal.

An infuriated City turned on a celebrating Davies and a melee involving virtually every player ensued.

With some sort of order resumed, referee Paul Rejer consulted one linesman then another - who had flagged after spotting Davies' sneaky assault - before not only ruling out the goal but sending off Davies too.

Not surprisingly tempers were fraying, most notably on the Macclesfield bench and in the stands.

The second half could not be expected to match the incident of its predecessor and so it proved.

Macclesfield, cherishing possession, rolled up their sleeves and doubled their work rate while City seemed uncertain how to make the most of their good fortune.

Indeed, it was York who looked more likely to concede.

First Richard Barker outpaced Barry Jones to latch onto Gregor Rioch's header but Alan Fettis stood his ground and grabbed the ball sharply at the striker's feet.

Durkan then slammed a good chance into the side netting.

City huffed and puffed but, a couple of high and mighty efforts aside, created little in the way of clear-cut chances.

Hardly time to pop the champagne then but in the current predicament as much as could be hoped for - a small step closer to safety and a sniff of brighter times.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.