A LATE goal from Maziar Kouhyar secured York City a vital 1-0 victory over Spennymoor Town in their hunt for the Vanarama National League North play-off places.

Spennymoor could easily have found themselves at least 3-0 up by half time as leading marksman Glen Taylor missed several gilt-edged chances while Robert Ramshaw struck the crossbar.

By contrast, York offered little in front of goal and their build-up lacked any of the quality seen at Chorley in mid-week.

City edged a second half in which Spennymoor’s levels dropped and Kouhyar’s 83rd-minute tap-in made sure of a critical three points.

The result sees York remain a point inside the play-offs with a game in hand and starts off a busy run-in to the end of the season which next sees City visit Alfreton Town on Easter Monday (3pm).

The overall performance may have frustrated manager John Askey though as he named a strong side which saw just one change from Tuesday, with fit-again Michael Duckworth back in at right back.

That allowed Olly Dyson to move up to the midfield three, with Kouhyar starting from the right wing. Remy Longdon missed out from the matchday squad.

Much of the recent talk surrounding City has been of pitch conditions away from home but the pristine LNER Community Stadium offered no such excuses.

It was Spennymoor though who took full advantage of the conditions, dominating the early possession and soon turning this into chances.

After just 10 minutes, Town should have gone in front as they almost capitalised on some more poor set-piece defending from York, a particular issue for several weeks.

A free-kick was knocked down by Glen Taylor to Robert Ramshaw who returned the ball to his striker who could only find the side netting with his first-time strike from close range.

Spennymoor’s all-time top goal-scorer then had another chance from a set piece as his looping header was well cleared off the line by Lenell John-Lewis, who saw more action in his own box rather than the opposition’s in the first 45 minutes.

Taylor’s hat-trick of first-half chances concluded when Scott Barrow cheaply lost possession on the left and Ramshaw’s cross picked out the captain.

With Peter Jameson stranded between the sticks, Taylor arched a shot just wide of the far post.

Throughout Spennymoor’s repeated opportunities, York did have their fair share of the ball, but offered little with it.

Their build-up play was slow and laboured, huge gaps were to be found between the defence and target man John-Lewis and eventually moves broke down through some sloppy passing.

As the half drawn to its conclusion, you can only image York were counting down the seconds until the break.

Spennymoor went even closer to moving in front when Luke Spokes easily went past Duckworth before Ramshaw’s strike clipped the crossbar.

By half time, the shot count was 8-3 in Town’s favour, which rather summed up the first 45 minutes.

It would be unfair to say that York were a completely different side after the restart but they were certainly much-improved.

John-Lewis had a header go wide while Dyson’s powerful strike was well blocked by some manful Spennymoor defence.

After the hour, Askey made some much-needed changes as Town soon gained a foothold in the second half.

Clayton Donaldson and Paddy McLaughlin were introduced, replacing John-Lewis and Kurt Willoughby respectively.

Rather strangely, Spennymoor began to time waste and they seemed content for a point, despite now remaining a number of places and points outside the play-offs.

York claimed the upper hand as the Moors’ momentum dropped and they were appeared desperate for a winner, as summed up by a dive from Matty Brown in the box, for which he was booked.

Chances thereafter were few and far between, with Kouhyar’s blocked shot the only meaningful chance that City could claim.

With seven minutes remaining, City finally found the breakthrough. Brown leapt high to win a back-post header and Dyson acrobatically swung the ball back across goal with a bicycle kick.

Waiting at the far post was Kouhyar who, in the right place at the right time, tapped in to spark jubilant scenes in the South Stand.

It would hard to say that anyone saw the winner coming but having shown plenty of graft and fight in comparison to Spennymoor in the second half, it was not a goal you could begrudge them.

The fitness of the full-time City seemed to show against their part-time opponents late on in a strong finish.

Kouhyar forced a good stop from Jordan Amissah following his short corner before Dyson flashed a near-post effort into the side netting.

York never do things the easy way though and they conceded one last-second chance. A long throw in was missed by at least three City defenders and fell kindly to substitute Jordan Thewlis who could only lash his attempt into the stands.

In terms of chances, Spennymoor finished with by far the most, not that that will be of any concern to York mind.

York: Jameson 6, Duckworth 6, Brown (C) 7, Kouogun 6, Barrow 6, Wright 6, Kouhyar 7, Hancox 7, Dyson 7, John-Lewis 5 (McLaughlin 6 63’), Willoughby 5 (Donaldson 7 63’).

Subs not used: Campbell, Sanders, McKay.

Goals: Kouhyar (83’)

Yellow cards: Brown (66’)

York’s star man: Maziar Kouhyar. Bagged York’s winner late on and showed some bright touches on both wings.

Spennymoor: Amissah, Pye, Chandler (Ofoso 90’), Tait, Brierley, Taylor (C), Ramshaw, Hall, Oyibo (Thewlis 74’), Richardson, Spokes (Preston 84’).

Subs not used: Flatters, Mason.

Yellow cards: Hall (12’), Ramshaw (82’), Pye (82’)

Referee: Kristian Silcock

Attendance: 3,797 (277)

Shots (on target): 10 (4) | 13 (2)

Corners: 3 | 7

Offsides: 2 | 1

Fouls committed: 9 | 5