York City 1 Oxford United 1

Oxford United came from behind to rescue a point at Bootham Crescent, having been under heavy pressure for most of the game up to Simon Clist's equaliser nine minutes from time. Clist ran in to convert a cross from Jack Midson from the right wing. Ten minutes earlier Michael Rankine had put York City ahead, but the home side were left grateful for the point after James Meredith's dismissal a couple of minutes after Clist's goal for a cynical challenge on Matt Green.

Chris Wilder made one change to the team that had beaten Grays Athletic 5-0 the previous Saturday, replacing Adam Chapman with Damien Batt. A double substitution on 69 minutes saw Chapman on for Adam Murray and Midson replace Jamie Cook.

The referee was M Brown, taking charge of his first Oxford game. He kindly showed yellow cards to both Green and James Constable, allowing both players to serve their one-game suspension for totting up five bookings in next weekend's FA Cup fourth qualifying round tie against Thurrock. Steven Kinniburgh was also booked. The attendance was 4,302, of whom 778 were sprawled around the away end.

The draw sees United's lead at the top cut to seven points, ahead of Stevenage Borough and Kettering Town. York are in sixth place. Stevenage beat Salisbury City 3-1, while Kettering won 2-1 at AFC Wimbledon. Mansfield Town are fourth after they won 2-1 at Eastbourne Borough, with Rob Duffy scoring the second goal, and Luton Town are fifth following their 1-0 win at Altrincham, United's next league opponents.

Bottom-of-the-table Chester City won 1-0 at 19th-placed Gateshead, while second-bottom Ebbsfleet United lost 2-0 at Barrow. Forest Green Rovers went to third from bottom after going down 5-2 at Histon, while a goal from Jamie Slabber failed to help fourth-bottom Grays Athletic, who lost 2-1 at Wrexham. Hayes & Yeading climbed to fifth from bottom following their 3-0 win over Cambridge United, Scott Fitzgerald scoring a brace for Hayes. Kidderminster Harriers are seventh after their 1-0 win over Crawley Town, former United triallist Gavin Caines scoring the goal, and Rushden & Diamonds beat Tamworth 3-2. [@news]2577[/@news] [@opponent]york city[/@opponent]