YORK City picked up a good point on Saturday with a 1-1 draw against National League North leaders Gateshead at the LNER Community Stadium.

The Minstermen gave a good account of themselves throughout but fell behind with 14 minutes to go when Cedwyn Scott tapped home after Pete Jameson palmed away a Paul Blackett effort.

But substitute Clayton Donaldson was on hand to secure a deserved point just five minutes later when he bundled in the equaliser from a Scott Barrow free kick.

City interim boss John Askey made three changes to the 11 that started Tuesday’s defeat to Bradford Park Avenue.

There was no Sean Newton in York’s squad for Saturday. Fellow centre-back and vice-captain Matty Brown took the armband in his stead, while Maxim Kouogun came back into defence, having been left on the bench for Tuesday.

Paddy McLaughlin was on the bench, with Akil Wright returning to fitness to replace him in midfield, while Kurt Willoughby was preferred to Clayton Donaldson up front.

York-born attacker Will Jarvis started the day on the bench after joining the Minstermen on loan from Championship outfit Hull City in the week.

Gateshead player-manager Mike Williamson started Robbie Tinkler and Macaulay Langstaff against their former employers. Going into the game, striker Langstaff was enjoying a fruitful season, having netted 14 times in the league for Gateshead.

Left-back Matty Jacob, like Jarvis, is on loan from Hull and made his return to North Yorkshire on the bench for the Heed. A couple of seasons ago, he had impressed a couple of divisions below with Pickering Town.

The early stages lacked a bit of fluency, punctuated by a few free kicks for either side. Gateshead put a bit of pressure on with Langstaff flashing a shot across goal and beyond the far post while Kouogun was caught out a couple of times.

Willoughby was a willing runner for York, testing Alex Nicholson’s pace and positioning. He got on the end of a ball over the touch, perhaps a touch to his surprise, and handled it when he might have beaten the offside trap.

Gateshead got into the area a couple of times but did not manage to really test Pete Jameson in the first quarter, bringing a save only once through Cedwyn Scott’s tame effort from distance.

The visitors were enjoying more of the ball in a fairly slow-paced first half-hour, though City were not without their moments. Former Gateshead left-back Scott Barrow got a cross into the area but Olly Dyson could not connect strongly enough.

As the half-hour approached, neither side had had an effort to trouble the other. Wright was there to clear in the area when Scott took out Barrow and Michael Duckworth with a ball around the corner to play Adam Campbell into the area, and a couple of efforts from range were blocked by red shirts in the box.

Jameson needed to get his hands on a tight-angled effort to push it away for a corner, which was eventually cleared over the West Stand by Kouogun.

City had the better of the final few minutes of the half, with Barrow’s balls in from open play and set pieces causing a bit of consternation in the visiting penalty area. Brown got his head on one from the left to head it back across goal and keeper Jacob Chapman had to get down well to block Dyson’s effort from close in.

By the half-time whistle, it looked as though both sides had spare gears to kick into in a competitive and watchable 45 minutes.

City continued competing well into the second half, having a penalty appeal waved away when Jack McKay went down under pressure from behind before Willoughby curled a free kick over after Longdon had been brought down.

Both wingers were more involved than they had been in midweek, their pace and directness causing the Heed some problems.

Heed hearts were in mouths when a backpass rolled towards goal with Chapman off his line. The keeper had not been convincing with his feet all game, and he duly booted the ball out for a throw in the Gateshead defensive third.

Chapman was responsible for some brave keeping with just under 20 minutes to go. Brown flicked on a Barrow throw into the box and Chapman threw himself at the melee trying to get a touch on it.

Scott broke the deadlock in the 76th minute. Substitute Paul Blackett made an immediate impact by latching on to a ball into the area and bringing a save from Jameson. Scott was at the back post to tap in the rebound.

But City were back level after just five minutes. Another good Barrow free kick delivery was again headed back across goal by Brown and Donaldson – who had come on less than 10 minutes before – bundled it over the line at the far post.

York: Jameson 7, Duckworth 7, Barrow 8, Brown 7, Dyson 7, Willoughby 7, Longdon 7 (Donaldson 7, 72), Kouogun 7, Wright 8, Hancox 7, McKay 7. Subs not used: McLaughlin, Jarvis, Haase, Campbell.

Star man: Akil Wright. Back in the side following a thigh injury, Wright did not miss a beat as he returned to drive the midfield.

Goals: Donaldson (81)

Yellow cards: Kouogun

Gateshead: Chapman, Nicholson, Tinkler, Hunter, Langstaff, Olley, Campbell, Storey, Scott, Bailey (Blackett 75), Magnay. Subs not used: Greenfield, Pani, Jacob, Charters.

Goals: Scott (76)

Yellow cards: Storey

Referee: Ben Wyatt

Attendance: 3,578 (433 away supporters)

Stats for York | Gateshead

Shots (on target): 9 (6) | 11 (4)

Corners: 1 | 7

Offsides: 1 | 0

Fouls: 12 | 10

Yellow cards: 1 | 1