Scarborough 2, York City 2

The trend, which plagued the club's early-season progress, returned to haunt Billy McEwan's men in their first game of 2006 when City were denied a deserved victory in the fifth minute of stoppage time at local rivals Scarborough.

And the 1,400-strong contingent of away fans crammed into the McCain Stadium yesterday must still be struggling to believe how their team did not complete a league double over their North Yorkshire neighbours for the first time ever and emulate the Seadogs' achievement last season.

With the four minutes of additional time up, City were seemingly completing the formality of counting down the seconds on their way to another three points over struggling Scarborough.

The home team had played the last half hour with ten men after Carl Cook's sending-off for a second bookable offence and had only ventured into the visitors' penalty box twice in the entire second period.

Even the profligacy of Andy Bishop and Joe O'Neill in missing chances to extend the Minstermen's 2-1 lead - the former passing up an opportunity to claim his first career hat-trick - therefore appeared irrelevant until Darren Dunning's aborted attempt to waste a precious few seconds near the corner flag backfired and triggered off a chain of swift events that would lead to an agonising ending to an afternoon that had been very encouraging for the visitors up until then.

Dunning was penalised mysteriously for an undetectable offence that referee Shaun Proctor-Green later clarified as shirt-pulling.

Tiring midfielder Emmanuel Panther then gave away possession in his own half after a long, hopeful punt forward from the resulting free-kick and skipper Mark Hotte failed to cut out a low right-wing cross from Brian Wake that was allowed to travel across the face of goal before Chris Hughes, gambling ominously at the far post, fired powerfully into the roof of the net from close range.

The final whistle, seconds later, left City's players, manager and supporters stunned and their Scarborough counterparts elated but, on this evidence and that of the Conference table, McEwan's men are likely to have more to cheer about during the remainder of the season.

Scarborough toughened up their act for yesterday's rematch after being rolled over at KitKat Crescent just seven days earlier and Cook's first caution on seven minutes for a foul on Mark Convery was one of a number of reckless challenges clearly designed to make an early impression.

Former Seadogs defender James Dudgeon went closest in the opening exchanges with a firm drive that forced a reflex save from home 'keeper Leigh Walker and City dominated the early stages although Wake headed straight at Chris Porter from a Cook cross.

City forged ahead when Convery crossed low from the left to Bishop, who saw his first close-range effort saved at his feet by Walker, but sidefooted the rebound into an inviting net.

It was a short-lived lead, however, as a clumsy 41st-minute Donaldson challenge on Lee Fowler provided the midfielder with an opportunity to swing in a free-kick from the left that was headed against the crossbar by Steve Baker and then turned in from a yard by Wake.

The Minstermen still carried the greater attacking threat on the restart and O'Neill fired high and wide after being teed up by Bishop on 56 minutes before Donaldson tumbled in the box on his way past Walker but indecisive referee Procter-Green decided neither to award a penalty or book the City striker for diving.

Donaldson's popularity among home supporters, then plummeted further when Cook was given his marching orders for a crude lunge on the City frontman.

Fowler was fortunate not to follow Cook into the showers after aiming a punch at Convery moments later and the Lincolnshire official brandished his yellow card five times in seven minutes as the game threatened to boil over.

The Minstermen, though, maintained their discipline and an excellent move saw Bishop climb higher than the Scarborough defence at the far post to meet Lee Andrews' cross and head over Walker for his 14th goal of the season despite Baker's desperate attempts to clear.

While Scarborough had only managed two second-half attempts on goal, a third goal seemed inevitable as City made their extra man count but Bishop was denied by an impressive tackle by Rob Atkinson and then O'Neill's weak effort lacked the conviction to beat Walker.

For McEwan, it will be a case of back to the drawing board as he addresses one of his young side's biggest frailties.

Scarborough, meanwhile, will be feeling as lucky as previous late-goal beneficiaries Grays Athletic and Dagenham and Redbridge.

Match facts

Scarborough 2, (Wake 42, Hughes 90)

York City 2 (Bishop 38, 72)

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

Dudgeon 7

Hotte 7

Merris 7

Convery 7 (Yalcin 85)

Panther 7

Dunning 7

O'Neill 7 (Bertos 86)

Bishop 8

Donaldson 7

Subs (not used): Stockdale, Webster, Stewart

Star man: Bishop - showed typical calmness in front of goal in rarefied derby atmosphere.

Scarborough: Walker, Weaver, Baker (Foot 74), Atkinson, Lyth (Coulson 76), Hughes, Fowler, N Bishop, Cook, Hackworth (Quayle 82), Wake. Subs not used: Dunbavin, McClare.

Yellow cards: Cook 7, Donaldson 41, Cook 63, Fowler 68, Convery 68, Panther 70, N Bishop 70.

Red cards: Cook 63.

Referee: Shaun Proctor-Green (Lincolnshire) rating: Made the odd, strange decision and one that contributed to City's downfall.

Attendance: 4,057.

Weather watch: Chilly.

Game breaker: The Minstermen's failure to properly defend the free-kick awarded, rightly or wrongly, against Darren Dunning.

Match rating: Full-blooded, entertaining derby encounter that should have led to a City victory but for a crucial lapse in concentration.

McEwan's verdict: "We came away from home and dominated the game. It was a good, local derby with a sting in the tail at the end for us that's hard to take."

Player watch: Clayton Donaldson

Shots on target: 0

Shots off target: 0

Blocked shots: 0

Passes to own player: 21

Passes to opposition: 2

Crosses to own player: 0

Crosses to opposition: 5

Pass success rate: 75 per cent

Dribbles ball retained: 6

Dribbles ball lost: 7

Dribble success rate: 46.2 per cent

Headers: 12 Tackles: 0

Clearances, blocks and interceptions: 2

Free-kicks won: 4

Free-kicks conceded: 5

Offsides: 0 Bookings: 1

Final summary: Donaldson was involved in a fair amount of controversy as is indicated by the five fouls he conceded and the four free-kicks he was awarded. His passing was safe and he went past an opponent six times. Twelve headers was also a healthy return, as was five crosses although none of them found a team-mate and he did not manage a shot.

Updated: 11:28 Tuesday, January 03, 2006