IN EVERY sense, it was not the best of Saturday afternoons for York City.

Another late winning goal for Wrexham saw Denis Smith's side take a firm grip on the third automatic promotion spot still up for grabs.

And, just to compound the disappointment, City produced a performance well below the standards they have set this season.

Scratching around for positives, an erratic City at least managed to pick up a point when they barely warranted even the scantiest of returns.

It's points not performances that count at the business end of the season and who knows just how important Saturday's sole harvest could prove come May 3.

It certainly could have been a lot worse, and but for some important saves from Michael Ingham and a fine tackle from Chris Brass to deny Paul Connor deep into second half stoppage time it may well have been.

And while there was little in the way of flowing football from the Minstermen to stir the soul, there was at least no shortage of incident, controversy and downright weirdness to numb the frustration.

The abnormalities began as early as the third minute, when a rare defensive mistake allowed the visitors to take the lead.

A header back to his 'keeper from the previously impeccable Chris Smith fell short, enabling Connor to nip in and squeeze the ball home.

However, such an uncommon rearguard error from the Minstermen proved just the start of the strangeness.

On 12 minutes, the match took a turn in York's favour when Dale 'keeper Matthew Gilks collided with a post as he tried to save Keith Graydon's curling free-kick, which cannoned off the inside of the woodwork and out.

After lengthy treatment, a groggy Gilks could play no further part and with no shot-stopper on the Dale bench substitute striker Lee McEvilly was handed the gloves.

City soon took advantage of Rochdale's misfortune when Graydon fired home from the spot after defender Gareth Griffiths was adjudged to have pushed Lee Nogan

It looked a harsh on the visitors but with parity restored, a makeshift 'keeper to contend with and fortune seemingly shining on the Minstermen - Graydon's penalty even hitting a divot that lifted the ball over the luckless McEvilly - three points now looked a formality.

With Rochdale seemingly content to sit back and soak up the pressure before launching counter-raids, City certainly dominated the half in terms of possession.

However, disappointingly, and much to the frustration of the home crowd, too often the ball was launched forward and down the middle in hope rather than expectation.

Given that City's giant Jon Parkin was suspended, it was a strange tactic to say the least and played into the hands of the Dale defence, where the towering Griffiths simply headed the ball back from where it came.

Because of Gilks' injury, ten minutes of added time was signalled by the fourth official.

It was another bizarre sight but even the half-time whistle, once it finally came, did little to stem the tide of extraordinary events.

Having played like a side that had been reduced to ten men for much of the first-half, at the start of the second Rochdale suddenly seemed to realise that despite the loss of Gilks they still had 11.

Their more adventurous outlook was rewarded less than ten minutes in when, from a Rochdale corner, referee Paul Robinson penalised Gary Hobson for a nudge on Griffiths.

Just like the awarding of City's first half spot-kick, it looked a highly questionable decision but Connor's penalty was superbly saved by Michael Ingham, who dived low to his left to deny the former Stoke striker.

City were still far from composed and struggling to find their stride but just past the hour mark grabbed the lead with a well worked goal.

Tellingly, the ball was worked down the flank and from Lee Nogan's perfect cross wing-back Darren Edmondson rose impeccably to head the ball in off the post and home from ten yards

Little more than five minutes later and Rochdale were back on level terms after Robinson awarded his third spot-kick of the afternoon.

This time there was little doubt about the decision as Graham Potter upended Wayne Evans.

But, in yet another strange twist, substitute McEvilly strode forward to take the kick and although Ingham blocked his initial shot Rochdale's makeshift shot-stopper bundled the rebound home.

The visitors continued to play the better football and City were indebted to Ingham for a strong parry to deny Simpson and to skipper Brass for his vital tackle at the death to foil Connor.

So much so that relief rather than frustration welcomed the final whistle.

Not so much a case of two home points dropped for York City but of a critical one point gained from a display to forget.

Match Facts:

York City: Ingham 8, Edmondson 7, Smith 6, Brass 7, Hobson 6, Potter 6, Bullock 7, Cooper 8, Nogan 6, Shandran 6, Graydon 6

Subs, not used: Collinson, Wilding, Jones, Wood, Brackstone

Gos: Graydon 36 (pen), Edmondson 63m

Bookings: Graydon 38m

Rochdale: Gilks (McEvily 20), Evans, Griffiths, Grand, Doughty, Hockenhull, Simpson, Flitcroft, McCourt, Platt, Connor

Subs, not used: Beech, Taylor, Melaugh, Townson

Goals: Connor 3, McEvily 69

Bookings: McCourt 25, Connor 36

Referee: Paul Robinson (Hull)

Attendance: 3,966

Man of the match: Richard Cooper - Scrapped for everything and did his best to inject some life into City

Updated: 12:15 Monday, April 14, 2003