IN a very definite tale of two Cities, York City returned to winning ways and got their promotion quest back on track with a 3-1 victory over Cambridge United.

Providing the dictionary definition for the phrase 'a game of two halves', in the first the Minstermen played as poorly as they have done for a long time.

But the second proved a very different story as City underwent such a dramatic transformation one wondered whether a Stars in their Eyes make-up artist had been put to work in the changing rooms at half-time.

Certainly, Mr Jekyll was replaced by Mr Hyde and whatever manager Terry Dolan said during the interval to reawaken his slumbering troops should be bottled. City were as quick and slick in the second as they had been sluggish and slothful in the first.

Dolan hailed it as a 'vital' win and it most certainly was.

At half-time on Saturday, City trailed 1-0 and looked distinctly out of sorts. Although only three points were at stake, coming on the back of two defeats a third would have made promotion look a very distant hope.

Cambridge grabbed their lead as early as the sixth minute, Ezomo Iriekpen deflecting Luke Guttridge's blast from the edge of the area into the City goal, and never looked back.

Five minutes later, City were grateful to Michael Ingham for making an important block with his legs to deny Omer Riza and then the heels of Scott Jones as the City defender thwarted Dave Kitson's low cross from reaching Riza at the back post.

Just before the half-hour mark, City were left thanking the linesman's flag, as Riza finally found the net from Guttridge's scuffed shot but was adjudged offside.

City at last made some forward forays of their own as the end of the half drew near, with Jones going close to repairing the damage only for his soaring header from Graham Potter's corner to hit the cross-bar.

But Cambridge were by far the better team, quicker in thought and deed, and a third successive reverse for City looked a certainty.

Improvement wasn't just required but a complete 360 degree turnaround, and given the way the Minstermen had performed in those 45 minutes it looked beyond them.

However, this City side have surprised fans enough this season to know that we should no longer be surprised.

The complete turnaround in form and fortune duly arrived and all within four minutes of the restart.

First, Jon Parkin levelled the scores with a shot from close range at the second attempt after Iriekpen's tackle on Lee Nogan saw the ball deflect into the giant striker's path.

Then, little more than 60 seconds later, it was role reversal as Parkin played in Nogan, who coolly slotted the ball past Shaun Marshall for his first goal of 2003.

Naturally, the goals turned the match on its head, but City were also much more energetic and competitive than they had been before the break.

Time and again the Cambridge defence were turned towards their own goal and crosses started to arrive in the box with regularity.

City's tackling, harrying and passing also moved up not just one gear but a handful.

For all the improvement, City had a fortunate escape on 70 minutes when Guttridge volleyed Ingham's scuffed clearance into the path of Kitson.

The City goalkeeper did well to force United's top-scorer wide but was still grateful to his skipper, Chris Brass, for hacking Kitson's eventual shot off the line.

The Minstermen continued to look the more dangerous however, and Parkin squandered a golden opportunity to seal the win with ten minutes remaining.

Potter delivered a devilish cross from the left which Nogan dummied only for Parkin to side-foot his shot at the retreating Stevland Angus rather than the goal.

No matter, a minute into stoppage time and substitute Anthony Shandran brushed aside Iriekpen to latch on to a long clearance out of defence from Chris Smith and rifle the ball beyond Marshall.

City's stirring comeback was complete and promotion was firmly back on the agenda.

York City: Ingham 7, Edmondson 7, Smith 7, Brass 7, Jones 8, Cowan 7, Potter 7, Cooper 8, Bullock 8, Nogan 8 (Shandran 81m), Parkin 8 Subs (not used): Stockdale, Hobson, Brackstone, Mathie

Goals: Parkin 48m, Nogan 49m, Shandran 90m

Bookings: Smith 26m, Brass 77m, Edmondson 83m (all fouls)

Cambridge: Marshall, Goodhind, Angus, Iriekpen, Murray (Revell 88m), Guttridge, Fleming, Wanless, Newey (Youngs 69m), Riza (Chillingworth 73m), Kitson Subs (not used): Brennan, Nacca

Goals: Iriekpen 6m

Bookings: None

REFEREE: Colin Webster (Gateshead)

ATTENDANCE: 3,394

Man of the match: Scott Jones.

A number of candidates but the City defender hardly put a foot wrong and showed good distribution

Updated: 09:07 Monday, March 10, 2003