York City 1 Leyton Orient 1: Minstermen slowly sliding back into non-league

The result left Jackie McNamara’s side nine points adrift of third-bottom Stevenage, having played a game more and with a vastly inferior goal difference.

City have also now taken just three points from a possible 30 after on-loan Huddersfield defender Will Boyle’s second-half red card proved the turning point in an entertaining encounter.

With the hosts leading courtesy of Bradley Fewster’s seventh goal since a loan move from Middlesbrough and Jobi McAnuff having hit the post with a penalty for the play-off chasing O’s, Boyle received his marching orders on 74 minutes after diving in the penalty box and incurring a second bookable offence.

He had earlier thrown his arms up in the air to concede the 44th-minute penalty. Within seconds of his dismissal, visiting substitute Lloyd James fired a deflected 15-yard effort past Scott Flinders, who had kept Kevin Nolan’s men at bay with stunning saves from McAnuff and Shaun Brisley.

But there were crumbs of comfort for York fans, who have been told to expect McNamara to keep his job next season, with the 10 men almost snatching victory as Fewster headed against the bar and Luke Hendrie also forced Alex Cisak into a smart, near-post save.

An angry McNamara blasted referee Trevor Kettle’s fitness levels at the final whistle, saying: “He was getting decisions wrong purely because he couldn’t keep up with play.”

York City: Flinders; Hendrie, Winfield, Boyle, Ilesanmi (Galbraith, 48); Berrett, Bennett, Summerfield, Coulson (Oliver, 70); Alessandra, Fewster. Unused substitutes: Riordan, Hyde, Dixon, Ingham, McEvoy.

Leyton Orient: Cisak; Hunt , Brisley, Ramage, Binnom-Williams; Clohessy (Jahraldo-Martin, 66), Nolan, Atangana (James, 66), McAnuff; Palmer (Gnanduillet, 81), Simpson. Unused substitutes: Moore, Turgott, Pollock, Gregory.

Referee: Trevor Kettle (FL).