YORK City’s ten men fought back to secure a 2-2 home draw with Carlisle.

Vadaine Oliver’s 51st-minute red card, with his team trailing to Tom Miller and Troy Archibald-Henville goals, had appeared to end all hopes of a Minstermen win.

But two goals in as many minutes earned Russ Wilcox’s men a point.

First, Luke Summerfield’s penalty reduced the deficit and, then, substitute Josh Carson scored his first goal of the season. The afternoon had started in uplifting fashion with a touching one minute’s applause for former striker David Longhurst to mark the 25th-anniversary of his passing away on the Bootham Crescent pitch. City also made the early running with Eddie Nolan flashing a 25-yard, half-volley wide and Summerfield seeing a fierce long-range attempt strike the head of offside team-mate Oliver.

But it was Reece Thompson who missed the best chance of the half on 22 minutes when he lifted a six-yard opportunity over after being perfectly picked out by debutant Rhys Turner following an excellent move that also involved Keith Lowe and James Berrett.

Lowe went on to slice wide from 30 yards after being encouraged to shoot by City supporters before Carlisle forged in front with their first attack of the match on 26 minutes.

On-loan Newcastle attacker Alex Gilliead charged through the middle of the pitch before releasing an overlapping Miller through the right channel.

His diagonal, sidefooted 12-yard shot across goal then found Scott Flinders’ bottom corner.

After Russell Penn drove over from distance, Carlisle then doubled their advantage on 42 minutes when Archibald-Henville found Flinders’ bottom left-hand corner from 12 yards after Jason Kennedy and Gilliead shots had not been cleared adequately by the home side following the visitors’ first corner. The misery appeared to be piling on at the start of the second half when Oliver was sent straight back to the changing rooms.

But City’s ten men stormed back and were back in the game on 72 minutes when Summerfield converted from the spot after tumbling in the box following a brush with Angelo Balanta as he attempted to latch on to a Nolan throw.

Two minutes later, the scores were level as substitute Emile Sinclair did brilliantly to retrieve a ball through the right channel and hook the ball into the six-yard box, where Carson got ahead of his marker to prod in.

Flinders, meanwhile, was quick off his line to smother at Antony Sweeney’s feet after the Carlisle winger had ridden a Lowe challenge but Summerfield went close to snatching maximum points in the 90th minute when his curling free kick forced Gillespie into a flying save.

York: Flinders; Nolan, Lowe, Winfield, Ilesanmi (Tutonda, 72); Penn (Carson, 68), Summerfield, Berrett; Thompson (Sinclair, 55), Oliver, Turner. Subs not used: Ingham, McCombe, McCoy, Godfrey.

Carlisle: Gillespie; Archibald-Henville, Raynes, Grainger; Miller, Kennedy, Joyce, Dicker, Sweeney (Osei, 81); Gilliead (Balanta, 64), Ibehre. Subs not used: Hery, Hanford, Thompson, Gillesphey, McQueen.

Attendance: 3,692 (991 from Carlisle)