IN their last league game before Hallowe’en, York City delivered another example of their frightening potential during Saturday’s 4-2 away win against Hayes & Yeading United.

There were, admittedly, more scares along the way, with goals conceded in stoppage time at the end of each half ensuring a seventh successive match without a clean sheet.

But it is now a dozen games since any side managed a shut out against City and, even after 15-goal leading marksman Jason Walker limped off at 2-0 having earlier opened the scoring, the visitors still looked a potent force in the second half with his replacement Adriano Moké terrorising Hayes down the left flank.

Ashley Chambers did not look as comfortable when asked to deputise for Walker as City’s lone central striker, but his movement and willing runs still caused the overwhelmed home side problems and he went on to tee up Paddy McLaughlin for the visitors’ third goal before claiming the fourth himself.

Right-back Jon Challinor, meanwhile, opened his account for City during a first half in which he was a marauding menace for the Minstermen.

The visitors once more played with a freedom of expression and a dominance of possession that, at times, threatens to reduce tough Blue Square Bet Premier fixtures into something resembling exhibition matches.

Indeed, Hayes’ frustration at their opponents’ first-half superiority manifested itself in aggressive challenges from Curtis Ujah, Ryan Crockford and Mark Bentley on James Meredith, Challinor and Andre Boucaud respectively.

All three home players ended up in referee Steve Martin’s notebook with Ujah’s late lunge at Meredith leading to the Minstermen’s first goal.

After ex-City striker Richard Pacquette had headed wide from a Louie Soares cross and Walker had fired left-footed across the face of goal having sprinted on to Boucaud’s through ball, Meredith was hacked down 25 yards out on 14 minutes.

Walker, watched by League Two strugglers Plymouth, stepped up to score direct from a free-kick for a second successive match, curling his 15th goal of the season into Arnold’s top right-hand corner.

On 19 minutes, a typical, one-touch passing move led to City’s second goal with Scott Kerr releasing Challinor down the right flank.

Challinor then teased back- pedalling left-back Diak John before drilling an angled edge-of-the-box effort into Arnold’s bottom right-hand corner.

Walker’s 37th-minute departure led to an initial lull in City’s game and, moments later, Soares found space in the visitors’ penalty box but opted for an early shot and his curling effort was a comfortable height for Michael Ingham to beat away.

Pacquette’s diving header from John’s cross also forced a save before Hayes reduced the deficit in the third and final minute of first-half injury time.

A corner to the far post by Crockford was won in the air by an unopposed Tom Cadmore and he directed the ball back into the six-yard box where an alert Soares, whose run went untracked, glanced a header past Ingham.

Despite the setback, City still started the second half positively and purposefully with Boucaud and Chambers both going close from 20 yards.

A great opening was then wasted after Chambers got to the byline but, with Blair slow to react in the middle of the penalty box, his eventual cross hit a horrendous divot and ended up in Arnold’s arms.

City were soon 3-1 ahead, however, when McLaughlin claimed his fifth goal of the season.

Having stung Arnold’s hands from 25 yards just two minutes earlier, McLaughlin thundered an edge-of-the-box effort into the Hayes ’keeper’s bottom left-hand corner just past the hour mark after Moké had released Chambers to create the chance.

Another Moké raid down the left led to a far-post cross for Blair who, in turn, found Boucaud.

But, after a spot of mesmeric footwork, City’s Trinidad and Tobago international blazed over.

Kerr and Challinor were next to threaten a fourth goal before Chambers claimed his seventh of the season.

The architect was again Moké who ghosted past tormented right-back Fraser Franks before reaching the byline and perfectly picking out Chambers six yards from goal.

Ex-Leicester striker Chambers then kept his composure, taking a touch before sidefooting firmly inside Arnold’s left-hand upright.

Hayes rallied with Soares calling Ingham into action from distance and Luke Williams also hitting the outside of the City ’keeper’s right-hand post.

Moké was not finished either and created another opportunity for Blair that was clawed away by Arnold before sloppy City defending saw Williams reduce the deficit with virtually the last kick of the game.

A breakdown in communication between City’s centre-backs saw a hopeful punt into the box go uncleared and Williams drove into Ingham’s bottom right-hand corner after the ball had fallen to his feet 15 yards from goal.

Match facts

Hayes & Yeading 2 (Soares 45; Williams 90), York City 4 (Walker 14; Challinor 19; McLaughlin 62; Chambers 76)

York City: Michael Ingham 7, Jon Challinor 9, Chris Smith 7, Jamal Fyfield 7, James Meredith 8, Andre Boucaud 8, Scott Kerr 9, Paddy McLaughlin 9, Matty Blair 8, Jason Walker 8, Ashley Chambers 8.

Subs: Adriano Moké 9 (for Walker, 37), Jamie Reed (for Chambers, 79), Michael Potts (for McLaughlin, 88). Not used: McGurk, Parslow.

Key: 10 – Faultless; 9 – Outstanding; 8 – Excellent; 7 – Good; 6 – Average; 5 – Below par; 4 – Poor; 3 – Dud; 2 – Hopeless; 1 – Retire.

City’s star man: Moké - a constant threat down the left and he ensured City lost none of their attacking confidence after Walker’s departure.

Hayes & Yeading: Steve Arnold, Fraser Franks (Sam Argent, 81), Tom Cadmore, Curtis Ujah, Diak John, Ryan Crockford (Dwayne Lee, 68), Hector Mackie (Tom Collins, 46), Mark Bentley, Luke Williams, Richard Pacquette, Louie Soares. Subs not used: Delroy Preddie, Elliott Legg.

Booked: Ujah 13, Crockford 34, Bentley 64, Challinor 77, Blair 82.

Shots on target: Hayes 8, City 11.

Shots off target: Hayes 3, City 6.

Corners: Hayes 3, City 1.

Offsides: Hayes 1, City 4.

Fouls conceded: Hayes 1, City 4.

Referee: Steve Martin (Stafford). Rating: decisive.

Attendance: 525.

Shot of the match: McLaughlin’s left-footed goal was another sweet strike.

Run of the match: The left flank raid by Moké that saw him waltz past Franks and set up Chambers’ goal.

Head to head - Chris Smith v Richard Pacquette

Former City striker Pacquette was largely well shackled by Smith although he escaped the attentions of the visitors’ defence twice in the first half to find concerning space in the penalty box and get headers in on goal.

Pacquette was starved of service for long periods though, meaning the City skipper had an easier afternoon than might otherwise been the case.

With Pacquette having played as a lone central striker in the first half, substitute Tom Collins was pushed closer to him after the break but the pair never really worked as a partnership and the former faded late in the game.