YORK City climbed into their highest league position this season, moving up to fourth in the National League North table after an extraordinary eight-goal thriller at Telford.

The Minstermen led 4-1 at the break with Jon Parkin, who had surprisingly not found the net, withdrawn for the second period.

Two goals within a minute from Sean Newton and Raul Correia had put the Minstermen in the ascendancy and, although former Wolves forward Sylvan Ebanks-Blake reduced the deficit, Ryan Leak put through his own net and Adriano Moke completed the first-half scoring.

Jonny Burn went on to grab a fifth for the visitors, but replies from Ebanks-Blake and Connor Johnson meant Martin Gray's men had to survive some anxious moments before celebrating their fifth successive victory.

City made a high-tempo start to the match with Hamza Bencherif calling teenage keeper Ryan Schofield into a far-post save from the recalled Simon Heslop's left-wing corner.

The visitors went on to forge ahead from the same source with Heslop swinging another flag kick into the same area and, this time, Newton planted a firm header past Schofield on nine minutes.

City then doubled the lead in farcical fashion straight from the restart.

Telford played the ball all the way back to Schofield, whose clearance was charged down by an alert Correia and he rolled his shot into an unguarded net.

Moments later, Aidan Connolly curled over from 20 yards, while Correia saw another opportunity smothered at his near post by Schofield.

But the Bucks levelled from their first goal attempt of the match when Ryan Wilson sent a cross into the six-yard box from the left byline and ex-Premier League striker Ebanks-Blake gave Adam Bartlett no chance with his 21st-minute downward header.

Shortly afterwards, Bartlett did well to hold on to a curling Ellis Deeney free kick that gathered pace after skidding off the turf, while the rest of the half swung from end to end.

Connolly again aimed too high from just outside the penalty area after aggressive play by Heslop, who then provided another left-wing corner to make it 3-1 to the Minstermen.

Newton and Burn both competed for the ball in the air, but it appeared to strike Leak's shoulder before beating a helpless Schofield.

Undeterred, Telford continued to bomb forward and Bartlett made a smart save to deny a clear-through Jordan Murphy, while Deeney drilled over from distance.

But City extended their lead on 44 minutes when Moke set off on a positive burst and played in Correia through the right channel.

The Portuguese striker's shot was kept out at his near post by Schofield, but Moke swept the ball into Schofield's bottom-right corner from ten yards following the rebound.

An entertaining first period was then brought to a close when John Marsden dragged wide from the edge of the Minstermen's box.

Less than two minutes into the restart, City should have added a fifth, but an offside Bencherif applied the finishing touch from a couple of inches after Correia's scuffed shot appeared to be creeping over the line.

But the visitors only had to wait until the 52nd minute to get their fifth goal when Josh Law's free kick, won by Connolly, struck the inside of both posts and Burn followed up to tap into an inviting net.

In an increasingly crazy encounter, though, a lapse by Burn let in sub Marcus Dinanga, only for Bartlett to make another strong one-on-one save.

Two minutes past the hour, though, Ebanks-Blake was on the scoresheet again, punishing more slack away defending with a deflected 12-yard attempt that beat Bartlett inside his left-hand upright.

Johnson went on to make it 5-3 on 72 minutes when he met Deeney's corner from the right and his downward shot bounced into Bartlett's top-left corner.

Moments later, Marsden fired wide from 25 yards, while Bartlett denied Ebanks-Blake a hat-trick twice when he smothered at the 31-year-old forward's feet and then pushed away his shot after firing a clearance straight at him.

Former on-loan City midfielder Jordan Lussey also brushed the sidenetting from 20 yards on 82 minutes, with many in the ground thinking his effort had gone the other side of the post.

Bartlett, meanwhile, went on to make a brilliant flying save to claw away Shane Sutton's header from a Deeney free kick and Marsden lifted an edge-of-the-box attempt over in stoppage time, bringing an end to an enthralling contest.

City ratings

Adam Bartlett 8

Josh Law 7

Hamza Bencherif 6

Jonny Burn 6

David Ferguson 7

Simon Heslop 7

Adriano Moke 7

Sean Newton 7

Aidan Connolly 6

Raul Correia 7

Jon Parkin 6

Substitutes: Amari Morgan-Smith 6 (for Parkin, 46), James Gray (for Correia, 70), Dan Parslow (for Moke, 75).

Subs not used: Connor Smith, Luke Simpson.

Star man: Bartlett - string of fine saves

Telford: Ryan Schofield, Connor Johnson, Shane Sutton, Ryan Leak (Ross White, 46), Ryan Wilson, Jordan Lussey, Ellis Deeney, Jordan Murphy (Marcus Dinanga, 46), Elliot Newby (Henry Cowans, 46), Sylvan Ebanks-Blake, John Marsden. Subs not used: Jasbir Singh, Max Leonard.

Referee: Alex Kirkley 7/10

Booked: Johnson 52

Sent off: None

Attendance: 852

Shots on target: Telford 9, City 8

Shots off target: Telford 6, City 3

Corners: Telford 8, City 6

Fouls conceded: Telford 8, City 11

Offside: Telford 3, City 1