York City's Josh Stones fires hat-trick to keep Minstermen in promotion picture as FC Halifax Town get back on track

The Minstermen took the lead only four minutes into the match when Tyrese Sinclair nodded a deep corner across goal for Stones to volley home.

Woking then came close when Inih Effiong blasted an effort over the crossbar before Aiden O’Brien sent a chance over just moments later.

Stones looked to double York’s lead and fired two shots wide of the post before playing a ball into Cameron John, who fired wide of the upright.

Stones then extended the lead with a cool finish from inside the box in the 72nd minute and completed his hat-trick eight minutes later after nodding home from Joe Felix’s cross.

The win leaves the Minstermen in third place, four points off leaders Barnet with two games in hand.

Forest Green Rovers sit second, two points ahead but having played a game more than York.

Halifax got their play-off push back on track with a 2-1 win over Tamworth.

The sixth-placed Shaymen were beaten at home by Fylde last time out, their first league defeat since November, but bounced back against Tamworth to record a fourth win in five matches

They took the lead just eight minutes in when Angelo Cappello picked out Zak Emmerson and the forward tucked the ball home into the bottom corner.

Tamworth nearly found an equaliser as Callum Cockerill-Mollett had a header punched away by Sam Johnson and Jordan Ponticelli and George Morrison both hit the post in quick succession for the hosts.

The visitors were then forced to make a substitution as Jo Cummings was taken off on a stretcher in the 52nd minute before the Lambs went close again through Cockerill-Mollett and Ponticelli.

Scott High extended Halifax’s advantage with a strike from the edge of the box in the 79th minute and Tamworth could only respond through Nathan Tshikuna’s penalty in the 11th minute of stoppage time.

The win leaves the Shaymen in sixth spot, five points ahead of Rochdale who sit just outside the play-off spots in eighth.