BLACKPOOL headmaster Neil Reynolds watched his FC United of Manchester team teach York City a footballing lesson for much of a one-sided first half at Bootham Crescent.

But home keeper Adam Bartlett saved his team-mates from a possible caning and with football, like modern-day education, all about achieving results and hitting targets, it was the Minstermen who ended the game looking like finishing school graduates thanks to goals from Alex Harris and Jordan Burrow.

Harris opened the scoring completely against the run of play with a breakaway effort on 35 minutes and Burrow went on to convert a late penalty for his ninth goal of the season during the latter stages.

Earlier, though, the hosts had struggled to gain a foothold in a match that their relegation-threatened opponents – who had won their previous three away National League North contests – quickly began to dictate after a tepid start by both teams.

The afternoon’s first shot came on ten minutes when Lewis Hawkins’ 15-yard diagonal drive was comfortably gathered by Lloyd Allinson after Kallum Griffiths had sent Nathan Dyer raiding down the right flank.

After Elliot Simoes has sliced a ten-yard volley wide at the other end, Burrow also fired a hopeful edge-of-the-box effort across the face of the goal after being played through the right channel by Harris.

The next six opportunities were created by the visitors, however, with seven-goal, top scorer Kurt Willoughby drilling a firm 25-yard shot at Bartlett on 18 minutes.

Simoes went on to see a 30-yard effort deflected wide, while Tom Peers also called Bartlett into action from distance after using his muscle to shrug off the attentions of Joe Davis.

A 25-yard Rowan Roache drive was then pushed around an upright by the overworked City keeper who, having seen Simoes shoot over from inside the penalty box following more slack defending, was almost caught out at his near post by Willoughby before conceding another corner.

City, seemingly shorn of attacking ideas and perhaps seeking some respite, subsequently went route one and shocked everybody in the stadium by taking the lead.

Bartlett’s long punt forward was missed by both Burrow and the FC United’s defence, allowing Harris to burst clear on goal.

His first shot was smothered by an outrushing Allinson, but the former Hibernian attacker calmly found a vacated net from the rebound to claim his second goal in City colours.

If United felt aggrieved to go behind, it didn’t, show with Simoes leaving Griffiths, Kennedy Digie and Davis all trailing in his wake shortly afterwards before Bartlett kept out his 12-yard attempt.

After Burrow’s edge-of-the-box effort lacked the conviction to extend Allinson following another Harris pass through the left channel, Bartlett had to be alert again to parry out after Willoughby had been gifted a free sight of his goal from 15 yards.

Peers was subsequently flagged offside after netting from the rebound.

On the stroke of half-time, another Willoughby strike was beaten out by Bartlett as City reached the interval remarkably fortunate to be ahead.

The second period was a different story, however, as some of the huge gaps in the Minstermen’s midfield were closed and FC United were restricted to just one more goal attempt.

City offered more attacking thrust too and, either side of the hour mark, Adriano Moke saw a 30-yard effort drift wide after he had won the ball in the away half, while sub David Ferguson’s firm drive was collected by Allinson and the United keeper was equal to Harris’ shot after he had shown nimble footwork to slalom his way into the penalty box.

But, with the game still finely balanced, it required a fine instinctive reflex save by Bartlett to repel Stephen O’Halloran’s powerful header from Ryan White’s 70th-minute corner.

After Ferguson lifted an ambitious 40-yard attempt out of the ground, City then made the points safe on 86 minutes after away defender Chris Lynch was adjudged to have shoved Digie in the air as the on-loan Kidderminster defender looked to meet Griffiths’ left-wing corner.

Burrow went on to up his City spot-kick conversion rate to 66 per cent, scoring his second from three attempts as he sent Allinson the wrong way while finding the former Huddersfield and Chesterfield net-minder’s bottom-right corner.

Collins’ men must now look to target their first back-to-back league wins in 11 months when Leamington visit Bootham Crescent on Tuesday night.

City ratings

Adam Bartlett 8

Nathan Dyer 6

Joe Davis 6

Kennedy Digie 6

Sean Newton 6

Kallum Griffiths 7

Adriano Moke 7

Lewis Hawkins 6

Alex Harris 7

Alex Bray 6

Jordan Burrow 7

Substitutes: David Ferguson 6 – eager (for Bray, 25), Joe Ironside 6 – presence (for Newton, 46). Subs not used: Jake Wright, Macaulay Langstaff, Joe Tait.

Star man: Bartlett - did well to keep FC United at bay in first half and excellent stop from O’Halloran preserved lead in the second

FC United: Lloyd Allinson, Joel Senior, Stephen O'Halloran, Chris Lynch, Caleb Richards, Elliot Simoes, Michael Potts, Josh Wallen (Theo Brierly, 72), Rowan Roache (Jack Banister, 67); Tom Peers, (Ryan White, 67), Kurt Willoughby. Subs not used: Jamie Milligan, Sam Baird..

FC United star man: Simoes – provided forward spark for his team

Referee: Adam Williamson 7/10 – sensible decisions and always in control

Booked: Wallen 66, Lynch 85

Sent off: None

Attendance: 2,583 (485 from FC United)

Shots on target: City 7, FC United 9

Shots off target: City 4, FC United 4

Corners: City 2, FC United 7

Fouls conceded: City 8, FC United 7

Offside: City 3, FC United 3