YORK City fans welcomed 2006 with renewed hope that their team's play-off challenge can be revived in the New Year.

A hard-fought draw with Morecambe, who in two meetings with the Minstermen have been as impressive as any of this season's Conference opponents, suggested that City's top-five ambitions should at least outlast most well-intended resolutions made on Saturday night.

With the return of midfield anchorman Emmanuel Panther, Billy McEwan's men once more carry an attacking threat that should strike fear into most defences during the second half of the season even if Andy Bishop and Joe O'Neill were slightly off the boil against the Shrimps.

At the other end, City remain resilient in defence and are yet to concede more than two goals in any league match this season although how the team copes with the return to Darlington of on-loan centre-back David McGurk - unarguably the most consistent performer during the last five months - could prove crucial in coming weeks.

McGurk has been ever-present in the City side and has brought an assurance and presence to the back line that will be difficult to replace. The Middlesbrough-born defender was only denied a clean sheet on his farewell appearance by a equaliser from Morecambe left-winger Wayne Curtis that was correctly described by one City official as "surely the luckiest and most painful" goal he has ever scored.

Curtis, unintentionally, diverted Garry Thompson's fierce drive across goal past Chris Porter from six yards when the ball struck him in the most sensitive area of the male anatomy and he was in no mood to celebrate when his team-mates mobbed him seconds later.

City midfielder Mark Convery had earlier opened the scoring more conventionally on 41 minutes although his effort was still far from ordinary.

Convery struck a 20-yard, first-time shot that whistled low past helpless 'keeper Steven Drench.

Until that moment, both sides had fought out an even first half with few chances at either end.

Bishop's 11th-minute header from a Donaldson cross lacked the power to trouble Drench but Michael Twiss saw a more dangerous effort finish inches wide of Porter's goal midway through the first period.

City striker Donaldson then conjured up a 33rd-minute chance for himself but his sliced volley was headed away by Shrimps defender Michael Howard before the deadlock was broken when Donaldson's cross from the left was only cleared as far as the penalty box and Convery capitalised fully.

Morecambe made a more determined start to the second half and almost levelled the scores after just ten seconds when Donaldson carelessly gave the ball away straight from the kick off and Twiss forced Porter into his first save of the match at his near post.

Porter was called into action again on 53 minutes, diving low to his right to excellently keep out a low Curtis drive but Morecambe drew level from the resulting corner, leaving the muscular midfielder shedding tears of joy and pain in equal measure after his freak goal.

Impressive right-winger Garry Thompson then struck Porter's crossbar with an intelligent chip that had left the back-tracking City 'keeper grasping at thin air but City rode their luck and weathered Morecambe's strongest period of the game.

The Minstermen could have also snatched victory twice in the dying stages. First Bishop, spotting that Drench had sauntered off his line, went close with a lob and then Donaldson squandered a great chance to secure maximum points.

The 21-year-old striker received the ball alone eight yards out after McGurk had won a header but he failed to control properly and was stretching when he stabbed his eventual effort wide of goal in the second and final minute of injury time.

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

Andrews 8

McGurk 7

Hotte 7

Horwood 6 (Merris 19m, 7)

Convery 7

Panther 7

Dunning 7

Bishop 6

O'Neill 6

Donaldson 7

Subs (not used): Stockdale, Yalcin, Stewart, Dudgeon

Star man: Andrews - determined defending from makeshift right-back who also supported City's attacks well.

Morecambe: Drench, Hardiker, Bentley, Blackburn, Howard, Thompson, Perkins (Jimmy Kelly, 42), Brannan, Curtis, Twiss, Carlton. Subs not used: Kempson, Davies, Lloyd, Walmsley.

Yellow cards: Horwood 13, Hardiker 45, Twiss 45, Thompson 66.

Referee: Richard Hewitt (Scarborough) Rating: Sensible display. Got most things right.

Attendance: 2,712.

Weather watch: Milder than previous days. Snow falls had led to a heavy pitch.

Game breaker: Thompson's shot that struck the bar. Morecambe were on top at the time and had it dropped a couple of inches lower would have made them strong favourites to take maximum points.

Match rating: Very good point for City, showing determination against an impressive Morecambe team who, at times, threatened to dominate the game.

McEwan's verdict: "It was a great strike from Mark Convery and it's a shame that goal could not have won it but I think a draw was a fair result."

Player watch: Andy Bishop

Shots on target: 0

Shots off target: 1

Blocked shots: 0

Passes to own player: 9

Passes to opposition: 7

Crosses to own player: 1

Crosses to opposition: 0

Pass success rate: 58.8 per cent

Dribbles ball retained: 0

Dribbles ball lost: 7

Dribbles success rate: 0 per cent

Headers: 8 Tackles: 3

Clearances, blocks and interceptions: 1 Offsides: 1

Free kicks won: 0

Free kicks conceded: 0

Yellow cards: 0

Final summary: Strangely lethargic performance from City's top scorer playing in a wide right position. Bishop will be disapointed with a return of just one cross and one shot in the 90 minutes. Eight headers and failing to beat his marker in seven attempts was also below par.

Updated: 10:54 Monday, January 02, 2006