SOMETIMES gestures speak a thousand words.

At the final whistle of this giant leap to safety for York City, goalkeeper Alan Fettis turned to Yorkie the Lion and gave the club's rapscallion mascot a heartfelt hug.

While manager Terry Dolan won't admit City are safe until it is mathematically certain, this result cannot be underestimated.

And despite Dolan's obvious caution, Fettis's gesture - a mixture of joy and relief in equal measure - proved just how significant the players view this three-point haul.

For City have just about closed the trapdoor of relegation now. All that is needed is for the bolts to be hammered in.

Once again City made their fans sweat.

Having out-played and, as importantly, out-fought a Halifax side supposedly fighting for their lives in the first-half City's 2-0 cushion was no more than they deserved.

But just as against Plymouth, a goal conceded against the run of play changed the complexion of the game and for a spell City looked decidedly ragged.

It took another marvellous save from Fettis just ten minutes from time to maintain City's advantage.

City's custodian has made many fine saves this season, but surely none so crucial or so stunning as the one to deny Paul Stoneman.

If the second-half had been uncomfortable for City it was in stark contrast to the first 45 when Halifax failed to muster an effort on goal until deep into first-half stoppage time.

By then City were already two goals to the good, richly deserved for their first-half endeavour as they, to put it bluntly, 'got stuck in'.

From back to front City refused to allow Halifax a moment's respite or get a foothold in the match.

Going forward, there was no shortage of enterprise too as Richard Cooper threatened to break the net with a fierce shot that had Halifax keeper Craig Mawson at full-stretch to tip around a post.

However, while City racked up corner after corner and the crosses rained in like arrows at Agincourt genuine sightings of goal were few and far between.

It was perhaps significant then that a ball delivered with rare pace into the box saw City take the lead.

Graham Potter whipped in a free-kick from the right. Mawson, under pressure from Colin Alcide, came but missed the ball completely. It hit the bottom of the post and Lee Bullock prodded it home.

Having found Halifax's soft centre, City kept up the pressure and continued to deliver more telling balls..

Lee Nogan was just inches from latching onto Bullock's knock-down from a centre from the impressive Mike Basham in what was to prove a dress rehearsal's for City's second.

Basham again lofted the ball forward from within his own half, Alcide this time nodded the ball downwards and Nogan broke beyond the leaden footed Halifax defence to push the ball past Mawson.

With the comfort of a two goal advantage in the bag it should have made the second-half a breeze, despite the wind now blowing a gale into Minstermen faces.

And when Mark Bower crashed a shot against the underside of the Halifax crossbar just three minutes after the restart it seemed it would only be a matter of time before City killed the tie.

But what should have been a stroll to victory soon became hard work.

Halifax could only improve on their first-half showing and it took a brave block by Basham to deny Steve Kerrigan before Neil Redfearn smashed a drive against the post.

With City still regrouping, Michael Proctor stole in behind the City defence, shrugged off the challenge of Chris Brass and coolly slotted the ball past Fettis.

Halifax continued to press but after Fettis made his brilliant intervention to deny Stoneman - and some woeful finishing by Graham Mitchell who slammed the follow-up into the side-netting - City reasserted some semblance of control.

Nerves, steadied, the Minstermen ran the clock down well to bring safety to within touching distance.

One more win should do it.

York City:

Scorers: Bullock 31mins, Nogan 45mins

Alan Fettis 8, Richard Cooper 7, Mike Basham 8, Chris Brass7, Mark Bower 7, Graham Potter 7, Lee Bullock 8, Nick Richardson 7, Steve Agnew (Darren Edmondson 21mins, 7), Lee Nogan 8, Colin Alcide 7

Subs not used:Russ Howarth, Matt Hocking, Scott Emmerson, Gary Hobson

Booked: Darren Edmondson 37mins (dissent)

Sent off: None

Halifax Town:

Scorer: Proctor 57mins

Craig Mawson, Peter Murphy (Alan Reilly73mins) , Chris Clarke, Graham Mitchell, Mark Jules, Paul Mitchell, Steve Thompson (Paul Stoneman 73mins), Neil Redfearn, Craig Middleton (Robbie Painter 77mins), Steve Kerrigan, Michael Proctor

Subs not used: Peter Crookes, Matt Clarke

Booked: Proctor 28mins (foul), Kerrigan 33mins (dissent), Reilly 85mins (foul)

Sent off: None

Attendance: 3,465

Ref: Uriah Rennie (Sheffield)

Updated: 11:56 Monday, April 16, 2001