BEREFT of their eldest statesman, York City's young team answered another test of character at KitKat Crescent last night.

Skipper Mark Hotte hardly qualifies for veteran status at 26 but his absence through suspension lowered the team's average age to something bordering on kindergarten proportions.

With Hotte unavailable, 22-year-old left-back Nathan Peat was handed the captain's armband, while goalkeeper Chris Porter, aged 25, assumed the former Scarborough defender's position of seniority.

Twenty-four-year-old pair Darren Dunning and James Dudgeon, meanwhile, were the oldest outfield players with the latter proving an excellent replacement at centre-back for Hotte on his debut.

Dudgeon, who was playing part-time football for Worksop Town last season, was dominant in the air for the Minstermen as David McGurk's defensive partner. And then popped up at the other end on 78 minutes to meet Mark Convery's corner with an unstoppable header that earned City maximum points and second place in the table after a thrilling comeback.

Earlier, Justin Richards had given the visitors a 58th-minute lead with an overhead kick but the Cards striker then gave penalty-taker Andy Bishop an opportunity to score his second successive goal after coming on as a substitute when he inexplicably intercepted Convery's free-kick by throwing his arm up in the air.

That proved the spur City needed to gain sufficient belief and confidence that they could win the match.

Until then, Woking had frustrated the home side's efforts with a well-organised and professional performance, defending in packs, which started with the front men.

Glenn Cockerill also appears to have assembled a team capable of competing with City's fitness levels.

Right-back Jamie Price prevented a certain goal for the visitors on 15 minutes when he cleared a low Lloyd Blackman cross with Richards ready to pounce for a tap-in on the far post.

At the other end, Joe O'Neill drove straight at Woking goalkeeper Shwan Jalal from 20 yards, leant back to fire another effort over from the edge of the box and headed over from five yards following Peat's excellent cross.

Clayton Donaldson thought he had broken the deadlock, however, in first-half stoppage time when Jalal spilled his shot and then appeared to scoop the ball back into play after it had crossed the goal-line but referee Mark Tilling waved play on despite home protests.

City's cause throughout the match was not helped by the constant concession of free-kicks around their penalty box with former Arsenal European Cup Winners' Cup winner Ian Selley always looking liable to punish the home team with his expert delivery.

On 57 minutes, however, it was the dead-ball skills of the less-celebrated Steven Reed that led to the first goal.

Reed fired against an upright with his left foot after McGurk had given away a free-kick for holding and, when the home team failed to clear, Blackman's cross was met by an athletic effort from Richards that beat Porter from ten yards.

McEwan, who was typically orchestrating proceedings from the sidelines in a more animated fashion than the conductor in charge of the half-time brass band, had earlier sent on Bishop in an attempt to stop attacks repeatedly breaking down and now introduced Lev Yalcin to add more inventiveness and unpredictability to the Minstermen midfield.

Yalcin immediately went close with an ambitious 35-yard drive that flashed just wide and would later send Jalal back-tracking quickly into a goalpost to tip over an audacious long-range lob.

In between, City gained the two goals that earned an exhilarating win.

First, Bishop emphatically placed his spot-kick into Jalal's bottom left-hand corner on 74 minutes and then Dudgeon headed in from a Convery corner after a shot from the improving Emmnauel Panther had been deflected wide.

Richards almost made amends seconds later when he muscled his way past McGurk but then shot straight at an alert Porter.

The City 'keeper also blocked an injury-time effort after another Selley free-kick had caused consternation in the home penalty box but City held on to complete a character-building comeback.

Match facts

York City 2, (Bishop 75 pen, Dudgeon 78)

Woking 1, (Richards 58)

City ratings: (Key: 10 - Faultless; 9 - Outstanding; 8 - Excellent; 7 - Good; 6 - Average; 5 - Below par; 4 - Poor; 3 - Dud; 2 - Hopeless; 1 - Retire)

Porter 7

Price 7

McGurk 6

Dudgeon 9

Peat 7

Panther 8

Convery 7

Dunning 7 (Yalcin 66, 7)

O'Neill 6

Donaldson 7

Woking: Jalal, Jackson, Karim El-Salahi, MacDonald, Reed, Blackman (Cockerill, 83), Selley, Murray, Evans (McAllister, 83), Ferguson, Richards. Subs: Smith, Davies, Ruby.

Yellow cards: None.

Red card: None.

Referee: Mark Tilling (Cleveland). Rating: should have booked two Woking players for fouls on Donaldson and made other suspect decision.

Attendance: 2,302.

Weather watch: Cool summer evening.

Game breaker: Justin Richards' moment of madness.

Player watch: James Dudgeon

Shots on target: 1

Shots off target: 0

Blocked shots: 1

Passes to own player: 12

Passes to opposition: 2

Crosses to own player: 1

Crosses to opposition: 0

Pass success rate: 86.7 per cent

Dribbles ball retained: 0 Dribbles ball lost: 1

Dribble success rate: 0 per cent

Fouls won: 0 Fouls conceded: 2 Headers: 24 Tackles: 9

Clearances, blocks and interceptions: 6

Bookings: 0

Final summary: James Dudgeon made an excellent debut for City, attacking everything aerially at the back and in the opposition penalty box when heading in the winning goal. He also made a healthy nine tackles and his distribution was reliable.

Match rating: Great last 20 minutes from City after Woking had shaded opening hour with an organised and professional performance.

Billy's verdict: To come back after conceding a goal against a good team like Woking displayed fantastic attitude and commitment."

Updated: 10:45 Saturday, August 27, 2005