Gillingham 1 York City 1: Lack of killer touch leads to another York stalemate

The Minstermen have shared the spoils in more games than any other League Two side during 2012-13 after Paddy McLaughlin’s first-half goal was cancelled out by on-loan Coventry striker Cody McDonald’s 85th-minute equaliser at Priestfield.

But only top-two Port Vale and Gillingham and Fleetwood have lost fewer games in the division, and Mills believes more performances like the one in Kent could hold the key to last season’s Blue Square Bet Premier play-off winners claiming more victories.

He said: “We’ve drawn 13 games and we know we need to win more matches, but that’s what we set out to do every game. We nearly pulled it off against Gillingham and I think our performances have deserved more points.

“We just need to kill teams off, but I am proud of the way my players are doing. We were nowhere near playing Gillingham 12 months ago, but we’ve gone there now and been better than them.”

The Minstermen forged ahead on 17 minutes when home goalkeeper Stuart Nelson could only help McLaughlin’s inswinging corner over his line.

York goalkeeper Michael Ingham then made a brilliant save to keep out Adam Barrett’s header on the stroke of half-time, but was beaten by McDonald when he nodded in Myles Weston’s cross from close range.

Matty Blair might have won the match for York, but shot wide after appearing to be pushed off balance by defender Joe Martin. Referee David Phillips, however, waved away the penalty appeals.

Gillingham: Nelson, Lee, Legge, Barrett, Martin, Whelpdale, Frampton (Weston, 38), Gregory, Allen (Fish, 46), Kedwell, Birchall (McDonald, 55). Unused substitutes: Davies, Burton, Forecast, Muggleton.

York City: Ingham, Oyebanjo (Challinor, 81), Parslow, Smith, O’Connell, Kerr, Potts, McLaughlin, Blair, Walker, Rodman (Bullock, 90). Unused substitutes: Musselwhite, Johnson, McReady, Everson, Allan.

Referee: D Phillips (West Sussex).

Man of the match: Michael Ingham.