A GALLING second-half display against Brackley Town cost York City their first three points of the National League North season as the visitors came back from a goal down to win 2-1 at the LNER Community Stadium.

Akil Wright gave City the lead midway through the first half and, for the longest time, it looked as if it would be enough. The hosts were good value for their lead and, in a second half devoid of nearly any action, York were sleepwalking towards the win.

But no side can show as little as York did with a one-goal lead and get away with it in this division, and so Matt Lowe reminded the hosts with five minutes to go.

In the 88th minute, the explosive turnaround was completed. Brackley had been more threatening than York in the second period but still had very little to show for it - until Lee Ndlovu ran onto a through ball and poked past Pete Jameson.

Manager Steve Watson was forced into one major change to last week’s starting line-up with Sean Newton having been ruled out for six weeks after jarring his knee against Gloucester. He was replaced in a like-for-like swap by centre-back Matty Brown, who missed the end of pre-season through injury.

Also missing last week through injury, right-back Michael Duckworth came back in to give the back line a more experienced look, while veteran striker Clayton Donaldson returned and displaced Kurt Willoughby to the bench.

Midfielder Michael Woods also dropped to the bench, where he was joined by Jason Gilchrist.

Brackley made just one change from last week’s 1-0 win at Alfreton Town, the red-carded Twariq Yusuf replaced by 18-year-old former Peterborough United youngster Brad Rolt.

Danny Lewis kept two clean sheets going into Saturday and thus retained his place between the sticks behind a back five, while one-club striker Lee Ndlovu led the line.

Ex-City midfielder Wes York started the day at left wing-back.

A quick start – in which York had looked much the brighter of the sides – died down around the five-minute mark. Akil Wright and Olly Dyson were showing particular marked improvements on last week, when the former was played out of position while Dyson had looked off it since the Kidderminster opener.

York had the best chance of the first 10 minutes. Once again winning the ball in the middle, Akil Wright played the ball out left where Jaden Charles was waiting to play a good cross into the area for Donaldson, whose powerful header was tipped onto the bar.

Brackley had a couple of half-chances of their own, Lowe seeing a low shot from a cut-back comfortably saved before Brown made a good headed intervention in front of Lee Ndlovu.

But it was the City attacks that looked the most promising and the hosts took the lead in the 22nd minute. After Paddy McLaughlin’s header was put out for a corner, Mackenzie Heaney swung a peach of a cross into the six-yard box where a tumbling Wright bundled in.

York thought they had a second a minute later. Duckworth had a shot deflected out for a corner after City penalty shouts were waved away. Mackenzie swung in a near carbon-copy, this time dropped by Lewis under pressure and poked in by centre-back Sam Fielding, but referee Ed Duckworth had blown for a foul.

Under the bright, warm sun, the action seemed to be winding down for half-time with about five minutes to go. City were on top defensively, Wright, Brown and Fielding mopping up at the back with well-timed challenges, though perhaps a touch fortunate when Wes York’s ball into the middle was swung at and missed by two Brackley players.

The move to play Mark Beck and Donaldson up top together seemed to be working for York as the pair’s physical presence helped them make decent headway against Brackley centre-backs, who looked oddly uncomfortable against crossed balls. A Beck knock-down just too far ahead of Donaldson from a long ball forward was greeted by a wry smile from Watson.

City were somewhat lethargic coming out for the second half, Donaldson in particular appearing a bit tired, and a couple of times played themselves into trouble. Charles got himself on the wrong side of Lowe, allowing the striker to run at the defence, before Heaney picked up a yellow card for dragging Rolt back on the edge of the area. Both times, Lowe’s pass was cut out.

Charles did much better after the hour to dispossess Lowe but his ball forward, via Donaldson to Heaney, was feebly lost by the latter, a feat replicated by Duckworth not two minutes after.

City had lost something of their first half intensity, and were playing too many stray passes, and Brackley had perked up, looking more threatening. They were not free of tame mistakes, though, and in the soporific conditions, moments of note were few and far between. By the midway point of the second half, neither side had registered a shot of any sort.

Even Wright – who was the midfield lynchpin of City’s performance – was not immune to fatigue-induced error and he was easily turned by Shepherd Murombedzi. The ball was played forward to Lowe, who slipped on delivering the cross.

But City were not to go unpunished for long and with five minutes to go, out of nothing, Lowe dinked a sweet effort with the outside of his right boot over Jameson.

It got worse three minutes later and Ndlovu poked home after being played through into the area.

York: Jameson 5, Duckworth 5, Brown 5, Fielding 5, Charles 5 (Gilchrist 90), Dyson 6, McLaughlin 5, Wright 7, Heaney 5 (Woods 5, 68), Beck 5, Donaldson 6 (Willoughby 5, 73). Subs not used: Campbell, Hopper.

Star man: Akil Wright. It was a return to his favoured position and form for the defensive midfielder, who capped off a good performance with a goal.

Goals: Wright (22)

Yellow cards: Heaney, Brown, Fielding

Brackley: Lewis, Myles (Mitford 77), York, Prosser (Richards 83), Lomas, Dean, Lowe, Murombedzi, Ndlovu, Rolt (Armson 59), Walker. Subs not used: Cullinane Liburd, Franklin.

Goals: Lowe (85), Ndlovu (88)

Referee: Ed Duckworth

Attendance: 2,375

Stats for York / Brackley

Shots (on target): 4 (3) / 8 (5)

Corners: 7 / 3

Offsides: 1 / 2

Fouls: 9 / 8

Yellow cards: 3 / 0