TEN-MAN York City held on to secure a 1-1 draw with fellow promotion-chasers Chorley in front of a record LNER Community Stadium crowd.

Akil Wright’s header had got City off to a perfect start inside the opening quarter of an hour but a straight red card for Matty Brown after a completely unnecessary diving tackle changed the course of the match.

Harry Cardwell’s free-kick quickly levelled the scores and it seemed like it would be one-way traffic in Chorley’s favour thereafter.

While the Minstermen did have plenty of defending to do, they were never overly troubled by a wasteful Chorley and dug in to earn themselves a well-earned point.

Away from the field, the sight of 4,512 fans packed into the LNER Community Stadium amid the club’s reduced ticket price scheme once more highlighted the potential of a club languishing in the Vanarama National League North.

On the pitch, John Askey will take the positives from a dogged and hard-working display from his side, but will again leave with the knowledge that more quality is needed to the group to turn them into promotion challengers, as many expect.

Ever since City’s defeat to Kettering Town in Askey’s first game in charge, the interim manager has spoken of the need for players to depart before new arrivals can be brought in.

The first of those requirements has been met, with loanee Adam Senior returning to Bolton Wanderers and Jason Gilchrist moving to Buxton.

Josh King was set for a loan at Tadcaster but instead began on the bench for York after spending just one training session with the Brewers.

With Senior and Gilchrist dropping out - as well as Paddy McLaughlin - Askey recalled Clayton Donaldson to the starting line-up, Michael Duckworth back from injury at right back with Sam Fielding joining King among the substitutes.

Even in the game’s early stages, York looked a far improved side from the one which went down 2-0 at Gateshead, even if Chorley were not as impressive technically as the North East club.

Cheered on by a record-high crowd, they were pressing with genuine intent and looked to have some confidence in spite of recent results.

On 10 minutes though, that start was paused as fans from the South Stand threw numerous tennis balls onto the field, chanting “We want our club back” and “We want Jason out”, both targeted at divisive chairman Jason McGill.

Even with the break in play, City’s strong start carried on and they took the lead shortly after.

Donaldson crossed nicely from the left, Mark Beck flicked the ball onto the back post and an unmarked Akil Wright was on hand to head home.

The midfielder had a chance to double his personal tally and his side’s lead when Beck put him in the clear in the box but he fired over under little pressure.

Chorley slowly worked themselves back into the game and, before the half hour mark, Millenic Alli’s deflected strike beat Peter Jameson but dragged wide.

The game had been stop-start until this point, with a number of corners, fouls and the tennis-ball-enforced break in play, which seemed to suit City, who were leading.

But the complexion of the match turned on its head in a moment of madness from Brown. Closing down Billy Whitehouse to his own corner flag, the centre back dived in rashly and late, winning none of the ball.

He was shown a red card to little protests from his team mates.

From then on, York, understandably, were in survival mode and Chorley dominated much of the proceedings.

A Jameson save from an Alli effort in the box straight after the sending off was a marker of what was to follow.

Before half time, Chorley were on level terms. After Kurt Willoughby pushed over a visiting man, Cardwell stepped up and put the free-kick into the far bottom corner.

Jameson again was on hand to beat away a Mike Calveley shot as City ensured they stayed level at half time

King, the subject of much discussion in the build-up, came on at half time for Donaldson as the Minstermen set out their stall for keeping parity.

It was York though who had the half’s first meaningful chance when a Beck header was well saved by Matt Urwin.

At the other end, Chorley were being patient when in shooting range and not rushing their chances, as may have been expected given their numerical advantage.

The Magpies almost scored again from a free kick on 65 minutes when Will Tomlinson forced another fine Jameson save.

Centre half Lewis Baines was the next Chorley man to try his luck as a 35-yard drive beat Jameson and flew a few inches wide.

As the game went into its final stages, a Chorley winner felt increasingly unlikely as the away side appeared to be running out of steam.

Their previous patient work made way for shots aplenty, even if it led to routine catching practise for Jameson.

Tomlinson once more went close for Chorley, missing the target with his first-time shot despite being in acres of space.

York, as they had done even since going down to 10 men, continued to throw themselves in front of shots until the final whistle.

In a battling display, there was a distinct feeling that this was a point gained rather than two lost.

York City: Jameson 7, Duckworth 7, Brown 3, Newton 6, Barrow 6, Wallace 6, Wright 7, Hancox 7, Donaldson 5 (King 46’ 6), Willoughby 6, Beck 6.

Subs not used: Campbell, Fielding, Hopper, Heaney.

Goals: Wright (13)

Yellow cards: Newton, Wallace

Red cards: Brown (35)

York’s star man: Mitch Hancox. Battled in hard on the left and was one of the City players to dig in after the red card and equaliser.

Chorley: Urwin, Henley, Leather (Smith 47’), Baines, Whitehouse (Shenton 63’), Calveley (Blyth 83’), Cardwell, Tomlinson, Ustabasi, Blakeman, Alli.

Subs not used: Halls, Goodridge.

Goals: Cardwell (39)

Yellow cards: Baines, Smith, Henley, Ustabasi

Referee: Peter Shacklady

Attendance: 4,512 (156)

Stats

Shots (on target): 6 (3) | 21 (6)

Corners: 2 | 6

Offsides: 1 | 0

Fouls committed: 16 | 15