YORK City reserves succumbed to a late scrambled goal to lose 1-0 at Stoke City in the Avon Insurance League first division.

The decisive strike was plundered at the death with the ball squirting past goalkeeper Russ Howarth via either his own team-mate Chris Smith or Stoke's striker Chris Iwelumo, who spent a largely unproductive spell on loan at Bootham Crescent last season.

But while the visitors suffered defeat they sampled a double bonus in the respective fitness drives of midfielder Christian Fox and striker Alex Mathie. Both players figured for the full 90 minutes with Fox storming through several feisty challenges and Mathie looking sharp up front.

Updated: 11:29 Tuesday, October 02, 2001