FC UNITED of Manchester were formed as a protest club 14 years ago, but it has been their team’s own home form that has proved most objectionable this season.

The relegation-threatened outfit have won just one league match on their own soil during 2018/19 – a sorry record only matched in the English game’s top-seven divisions by National League South whipping boys Weston Super Mare.

In their latest attempt to add to that measly tally, the hosts, launched in opposition to the Glazer family’s ownership model at Manchester United, even contrived to throw away a 3-1 lead against ten-man York City.

Prior to FC United’s sole league success this campaign in front of their own fans against Curzon Ashton, the Minstermen had been the last losing side to visit Broadhurst Park little less than a year ago.

But Steve Watson’s side avoided the same outcome in this contest courtesy of a spirited end to a match that had seen them lose Adriano Moke following his foolish second bookable offence in the space of three minutes on the stroke of half-time.

Macaulay Langstaff produced his best performance in a City shirt to compensate for the departure of Moke, adding to his equaliser either side of Dale Whitham’s first-half brace with a shot that crashed off the bar for a Wes York reply and then grabbing his second goal of the contest on 75 minutes to secure a share of the spoils after Kurt Willoughby has put FC United 3-1 up.

During a storming finish to a ridiculously open contest, the Minstermen might have even won the game when, in the last action of the night, Scott Burgess was wrongly flagged offside in his own half, according to City chief Watson, as York looked to release him for a clear run on goal.

Aside from a 20-minute lull in the second period as the visitors adjusted to their numerical disadvantage, the game was an end-to-end affair with a plethora of opportunities for both teams.

The first saw home winger Dom McHale drag wide from 25 yards before the opening goal was scored on nine minutes.

Play broke down with Alex Kempster as City attacked the FC United box, leading to a swift counter and Louis Myers firing a 20-yard shot that was pushed around his right-hand post by Adam Bartlett.

From the resulting corner, sent in by Jack Banister, Whitham then rose unopposed to plant a downward header inside Bartlett’s far post from eight yards.

In response, Kempster saw a far-post header saved by Andy Fisher, before Kallum Griffiths took the sting out of a Banister effort to allow Bartlett to safely gather at his near post.

A Griffiths ball from the right was then expertly played into Kempster’s path by Jon Parkin but the ex-Whitley Bay forward drilled a shot straight at Fisher.

McHale went on to head over from a left-wing Banister cross, whilst an edge-of-the-box Kempster shot on the turn bounced just wide with Fisher beaten.

A perfectly-weighted pass by Scott Burgess subsequently sent Langstaff clear through the left channel, but he hit an unconvincing effort across the face of goal.

Banister also saw a curling edge-of-the-box effort deflected away from goal by Hamza Bencherif, before a scramble in the home box led to a ten-yard Kempster chance that was cleared off the line by Zehn Mohammed.

City did get back on level terms, though, just before the half-hour mark when Moke lost the ball in the FC United half but play broke to Langstaff again through the left channel and, this time, he shot across goal from 15 yards and found the bottom corner.

Buoyed by the equaliser, a positive run by Burgess ended with a rising 20-yard shot that was well held by Fisher.

But the hosts were ahead again on 37 minutes when Whitham fired in from 15 yards with Parkin unable to react quickly enough as the ball ricocheted into the visitors' area.

At the other end, Parkin played Paddy McLaughlin in through the right channel, but his ten-yard shot was too tame to extend Fisher.

In between, Willoughby heading well over from a Danny Morton free kick, however, Moke received the two cautions that ended his evening prematurely.

First, he had his name taken when he fouled Banister and, then, lunged into a tackle on McHale without forethought after the home winger had skipped past him in the home half, leaving referee Sam Mulhall with no choice but to reach for his red card after showing a second yellow.

In the second minute of first-half stoppage time, Whitham then came within inches of completing his hat-trick with another header whistling past Bartlett’s left-hand upright.

FC United did make it 3-1 just three minutes into the restart with Banister sending in a ball from the left that saw Willoughby beat David Ferguson and Bartlett to the cross to volley in from two yards.

To their credit, City continued to go forward with half-time sub Jordan Burrow’s header saved by Fisher and McLaughlin driving straight at the home keeper from ten yards after carrying the ball into the box with purpose.

The ten men were subsequently rewarded on 72 minutes when Langstaff’s dipping 12-yard half-volley crashed back out off the crossbar and sub York found an inviting net with a diving header.

Three minutes later, parity was restored when Burgess’ free kick into the box was headed on by Burrow and Langstaff hit a ten-yard half-volley that Fisher got a glove to, only for the ball to spin over the line just before Harry Winter, who was charging back towards the goal, could reach it.

Burrow went on to miss the target with his head and spurned an excellent chance.

After Willloughby curled over from 25 yards, Sean Newton also went agonisingly close with a near-post header from Burgess’ left-wing corner.

The home side, desperate for maximum points in their fight for survival, saw Chris Sharp direct an ambitious 35-yard effort well wide, meanwhile, before Mohammed also glanced a header off target from Whitham’s free kick.

But City went just as close to claiming victory with a 15-yard Burrow header caught by Fisher deep into stoppage time before a fitting finish to an enthralling contest was denied when the assistant raised his flag as Burgess prepared to race clear on goal.

City ratings

Adam Bartlett 6

Kallum Griffiths 7

Hamza Bencherif 6

Sean Newton 7

David Ferguson 6

Adriano Moke 5

Scott Burgess 7

Paddy McLaughlin 6

Macaulay Langstaff 8

Jon Parkin 6

Alex Kempster 6

Subs: Jordan Burrow 7 (for Parkin, 46), Wes York 7 (for Kempster, 58).

Subs not used: Ryan Whitley, Joe Tait, Nathan Dyer.

Star man: Langstaff – dangerous and positive throughout and rewarded with brace and assist

FC United of Manchester: Andy Fisher, Danny Morton, Zehn Mohhammed, Steve O’Halloran, Jack Bannister, Harry Winter, Dale Whitham (Josh Wallen 90+1), Dom McHale (Mike Donohue, 75), Louis Myers (Chris Sharp, 81), Kurt Willoughby. Subs not used: Tom Peers, Bob Harris.

FC United star man: Whitham – two emphatic finishes and unlucky not to claim a first-half hat-trick

Referee: Sam Mulhall 6/10 – little argument with caution count but influenced by home fans at times

Booked: O’Halloran 26, Moke 43, Ferguson 63, Whitham 68, Newton 84

Sent off: Moke 45+1

Attendance: 1,670

Shots on target: FC United 5, City 11

Shots off target: FC United 7, City 4

Corners: FC United 7, City 5

Fouls conceded: FC United 9, City 8

Offside: FC United 1, City 4