First defeat in six games for City

The Minstermen suffered a first defeat in six games as fourth-placed Spennymoor Town booked a place in this season's Vanarama National League North play-offs.

Substitute Ryan Hall scored Spennymoor's winner 12 minutes from time after City twice came from behind to level at Bootham Crescent.

Spennymoor captain James Curtis opened the scoring with a header in the 41st minute but Macaulay Langstaff spurned a hat-trick of first half opportunities for City.

The former Gateshead striker twice pulled shots wide of the post and also forced a good save from goalkeeper Matt Gould.

City manager Steve Watson had made one change to his side - recalling Josh Law in the middle of a three-man defence and dropping striker Alex Kempster to the bench.

City lined-up in a 3-5-2 formation until the interval when Kempster replaced Law and City reverted to a 4-3-3.

Kempster, who was on loan at Spennymoor midway through the season, took just six minutes to score City's first equaliser and it was cracking goal from the young striker who lashed the ball into the top corner of Gould's net from 25 yards.

Spennymoor would have equalised immediately but goalkeeper Ryan Whitley made a smart double save at his near post to deny Rob Ramshaw.

Centreback Scott Harrison levelled from a 54th minute corner, however, shooting through a crowded area and into the roof of the net from 18 yards.

Spennymoor captain Curtis made a brave block in the penalty area to deny Paddy McLaughlin soon after but suffered a facial injury and concussion in the challenge and was eventually substituted

Sean Newton got City back on level terms in the 66th minute with a header from a McLaughlin corner. It was the defender's sixth goal of the season. 

But City fell behind for the third and final time of the afternoon in the 78th minute when Hall found a gap through the centre of City's defence and tucked a lo wshot inside Whitley's right hand post.

York City: Whitley; Moon, Law (Kempster HT), Newton; Griffiths, Moke (York 90), Ferguson; Burgess (Harris 60), McLaughlin; Burrow, Langstaff. Unused substitutes: Tait, Bartlett.

Spennymoor Town: Gould; Williams, Brogan, Chandler, Harrison, Curtis (Thackray 71), Ramshaw, Henry, Taylor, Anderson (Hall 12), Diamond (Hawkins 74). Unused substitutes: Elliott, Boyes.

Referee: Dean Watson

Goals:
41' James Curtis (Spennymoor)
51' Alex Kempster (City)
54' Scott Harrison (Spennymoor)
66' Sean Newton (City)
78' Ryan Hall (Spennymoor)

Attendance: 2871