SORRY York City went down 2-1 to second-bottom Boston United in Lincolnshire.

Adriano Moke's first goal for two years and ten months had given the Minstermen a lead at the interval.

But a poor second period from the visitors saw Boston seize the initiative and collect maximum points following Jordan Keane's equaliser and Ashley Hemmings' penalty.

City made a bright start to the afternoon with Sean Newton seeing a second-minute, edge-of-the-box effort deflected wide and Dan Parslow off target from a downward header following the skipper’s subsequent corner.

James Clifton, meanwhile, curled a 30-yard free kick narrowly wide for the hosts, while Newton drilled another shot past the post after his initial attempt was blocked.

The Minstermen survived a 12th-minute scare when Adam Bartlett raced out of his goal after Bootham Crescent old boy Reece Thompson had unsettled debutant Jonny Burn, but Hemmings sent a sidefooted volley over the unguarded net.

Moments later, James Gray’s pace took him clear on goal after David Ferguson’s searching pass through the left channel, but he blasted his shot straight at home keeper George Willis.

Gray played his part, though, in City’s 19th-minute opening goal.

After Jon Parkin won an aerial challenge, Gray laid the ball off to Moke, who blasted a firm, first-time 25-yard finish inside Willis’ left-hand upright.

Despite falling behind, Boston continued to pose a threat, although Jay Rollins’ 20-yard attempt lacked the power to trouble Bartlett.

At the other end, Moke was brilliantly denied a second goal by Adam Curry’s far-post block, although Parkin’s pass down the left appeared to go out of play before Newton retrieved the ball and sent in a cross.

Rollins went on to head wide following a partially-cleared corner and drove past the near post from an unfavourable angle after Hamza Bencherif’s sloppy pass out of defence.

On the stroke of half-time, Parkin’s curling shot was also comfortably collected by Willis.

Ferguson curled over from 20 yards after the restart when a Newton cross was cleared, but the Pilgrims were level on 54 minutes.

Appearing to get in each other's way, Newton and Parslow failed to clear Hemmings' right-wing corner at the near post and Keane swooped to fire across goal into Bartlett's bottom corner.

A firm 15-yard Greg Smith half-volley was then well gathered by Bartlett, before Willis made a brilliant instinctive save to deny a sliding Amari Morgan-Smith after Newton had reached the byline yet again on the hour mark.

Another excellent away chance came when Parkin released Aidan Connolly through the left channel, but the Scotsman, who had only been brought off the bench three minutes later, delayed his shot after thinking about a lob with Willis off his line and then failed to beat the home keeper at his near post.

Connolly's next contribution was even more costly when he was adjudged to have fouled James Clifton, despite seeming to have nicked the ball off the rampaging right back's toes.

Referee Sam Barrott pointed to the spot, though, with Hemmings sidefooting his 74th-minute penalty down the middle of the goal as Bartlett dived right.

Shortly afterwards, Ferguson was wildly off target for the Minstermen from 20 yards, but Boston might have added a third goal in stoppage time with Clifton's 15-yard drive forcing a parry from Bartlett.