YORK CITY were denied a second home victory of the season when promotion-chasing Burton Albion grabbed a dramatic late equaliser through substitute Adam McGurk.

McGurk scored with two minutes remaining to cancel out York’s 70th-minute opener, which came courtesy of debutant Emile Sinclair.

City started the match brightly with new boys Malvind Benning and Sinclair combining to create the opening opportunity in the fourth minute. Benning’s low cross found Sinclair, but his close-range effort was tipped round the post by Burton goalkeeper Jon McLaughlin.

Jacob Blyth went close for Burton before the interval, only for York goalkeeper Bobby Olejnik to produce a fine save.

John McCombe headed Josh Carson’s free-kick narrowly wide at the start of the second half, before York broke the deadlock with a well-worked set-piece routine.

Benning’s short free-kick found Michael Coulson on the edge of the area, his cross was kept alive by McCombe and Sinclair reacted quickest to prod home from close range.

Burton responded through George Taft, who headed narrowly wide from a corner, and the visitors levelled with two minutes left.

McGurk cut in from the left-hand side and beat Olejnik with a curling strike that represented only Burton’s second effort on target all game.

York boss Russ Wilcox said: “I’ve told the players they have set a benchmark for the last 19 games of the season. It took a cross, hit with the player’s weaker foot, to deny us a deserved victory but we were outstanding and the better side against a Burton team who were second in the division

“Of course there’s disappointment because the difference between one point and three is massive, but we have got to find a level of consistency now and keep performing how we did today.”

York: Olejnik; Halliday, Lowe, McCombe, Benning; Coulson, Penn, Summerfield, Carson; Hyde (Fletcher, 76), Sinclair. Subs not used: Montrose, Straker, Meikle, Platt, McCoy, Morris.