YORK City were left to rue a stack of missed first-half chances after being held to a goalless stalemate by Carlisle United at Bootham Crescent.

The Minstermen missed another penalty - they have failed to score from the spot in the League all season, missing five in total.

Top scorer Michael Proctor was the guilty man for the Minstermen when his spot-kick was saved by Carlisle keeper Peter Keen after Leigh Wood was bundled over in the first minute of the match.

Proctor was denied again by Keen on five minutes when clean through while Jon Parkin also found the Cumbrians' shot-stopper in top form to turn his poke from eight yards around the post.

Even when City managed to beat Keen the woodwork intervened as Lee Nogan, chasing his 100th League goal, saw his right-foot volley hit the inside of the post and bounce out.

But if the story of the first-half was one of poor finishing from City, the second was one of poor passing.

The Minstermen continued to dominate possession but were let down by their final ball and failed to create as many clear-cut opportunities in the second-period.

Their best fell to Nogan on 82 minutes but the striker's powerful header was superbly saved by Keen.

Carlisle went close to snatching all the points themselves in the final ten minutes as Steve Halliday crashed a shot against the post then substitute Johnny Allan was unfortunate to see his 35 yard pile-driver hit the crossbar with Alan Fettis well beaten.

The point was good enough to lift City up to 16th place in the Division Three table, their highest position since November 2001.

Factifile:

City: Fettis 7, Edmondson 6, Wise 6, Brass 7, Jones 7, O'Kane 6, Bullock 7, Wood 7, Proctor 5 (Mathie 74m), Nogan 7, Parkin 6

Subs, not used: Collinson, Fox, Brackstone, Law

Bookings: None

Sent-off: None

City man of the match: Leigh Wood. After only a handful of starts the stylish youngster already looks firmly established in the City midfield. Always seeks to pick the simple pass and retain possession

Carlisle: Keen, Birch, Winstanley, Andrews, Rogers, McGill (Allan 76m), Hopper, Jack, Murphy (Bell 15m), Stevens, Halliday

Subs, not used: McAughtrie, McDonagh, Nixon

Bookings: None

Sent-off: None

Attendance: 2,809

Referee: John Brandwood (Lichfield, Staffs)

Updated: 08:52 Wednesday, April 10, 2002