In a massive relegation six-pointer in North Yorkshire, the game endured a surprisingly slow start, and it was to be visitors Scunthorpe that would impose danger upon their opponents, but Ryan Whitley's goalkeeping heroics saw York go in goalless at the break.

The second half was pretty similar, Scunny and the Minstermen again firing blanks for a dire showing, which doesn't reflect too well in the league table, with all teams around them picking up vital points.

  • Story of the match

Off the back of an inevitable defeat at league leaders Wrexham, York City interim boss Michael Morton elected to make three changes, as Alex Whittle returned in place of Alex Hurst, plus starts for Shaqai Forde and Paddy McLaughlin, while Mitch Hancox and Dan Pybus dropped out of the eleven.

The visitors opted for just the single change following their thrashing at Notts County, as Dean Rance made his full debut, replacing Finley Shrimpton.

With both sides backed by a big crowd at the LNER Community Stadium, a lively start was expected, but that wasn't the case, neither team able to notch a shot on target within the first twenty minutes.

York were arguably the bigger threat in the opening stages, down the left side through Alex Whittle, though neither of his looping crosses managed to trouble Scunthorpe 'keeper Tom Billson.

However, it would be the Iron that forced a first proper save in the match just past the half hour mark when they suddenly sprung to life.

Cameron Wilson sparked the opportunity, finding a loose ball just outside of the box, before driving one low towards the bottom corner, but Ryan Whitley was equal to it, parrying wide.

A few minutes later came another good chance, as Sean Shields swung in an inviting cross for Richie Bennett, who just couldn't poke the ball on target, fortunately for the Minstermen.

The well-backed visitors' onslaught continued - Whitley was demanded to make another marvelous stop, getting his body in the way to deny a certain goalscoring opportunity, before he had to palm a Bennett header wide on 42 minutes.

The hosts did eventually endanger their opposition's goalframe against the run of play, new striker Danny Rowe excellently picked out Ryan Fallowfield on the right, but the in-form wing-back's effort from outside the area was inches from taking the lead, instead crashing off the post and out of play.

That injury time chance lifted City morale, especially Fallowfield, who again made a couple of decent runs into the Scunny box, though unable to capitalize on either early in the second half.

Aiming for the deadlock-breaker as the game approached an hour, York loan forward Shaqai Forde burst in behind and tried a strike that looked to have hit the hand of a yellow shirt, before the follow-up was impressively denied on the line by Billson.

Fifteen minutes after, Iron fans were almost on their feet celebrating when Bennett broke through on goal, but when faced with the task of beating Whitley, his nerves got the better of him, blasting well over the bar.

Michael Morton's side knew they needed something in the closing stages to widen the gap to relegation, and captain Lenell John-Lewis nearly produced that 'something' with a glancing header so narrowly over the top.

A series of long throws from experienced defender Mark Ellis also came to nothing, as both sides were desperately fighting for a stoppage time spectacular.

But neither could create anything, as the first stalemate of the season was played out at the Minstermen's LNER Community Stadium.

  • Player of the match

Ryan Whitley (York City)

Goalkeeper Ryan Whitley had arguably his best 90 minutes in <strong><a  data-cke-saved-href='https://www.vavel.com/en/football/2023/03/24/1141665-wrexham-boss-parkinson-give-york-utmost-respect-ahead-sell-out.html' href='https://www.vavel.com/en/football/2023/03/24/1141665-wrexham-boss-parkinson-give-york-utmost-respect-ahead-sell-out.html'>York City</a></strong> colours on Tuesday (Photo: Matthew Appleby)
Goalkeeper Ryan Whitley had arguably his best 90 minutes in York City colours on Tuesday (Photo: Matthew Appleby)

Filling in while number one Ethan Ross recovers from a concussion, York-born 'keeper Ryan Whitley was arguably the key to claiming a point in a dire goalless draw with relegation-threatened Scunthorpe United.

Although City fans will be hugely disappointed with a 'nothing' contest in which they struggled to break down a poor Iron side, Whitley deserves most of the praise for pulling off some excellent saves to record his first clean sheet of the campaign.

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