Dover allowed two leads to slip and had to settle for a point against National League basement boys York at Crabble on Saturday afternoon.

Jamie Grimes put Whites ahead early on but Jon Parkin rammed City level before the break and though Ricky Miller's penalty in the final 20 minutes might have won it, Shaun Rooney's header ensured a point which was the least the Minstermen deserved.

York looked far from a side that had only scored once in their previous four games and seen a New Year's Day loss at home to bottom side North Ferriby send the Minstermen to the foot of the table while for Chris Kinnear's side it was a third home game without a win.

The visitors had a glorious chance inside a minute as Parkin threaded a fine ball through the defence which evaded the sliding Grimes, only for Sean Newton to take a heavy touch when clean through allowing Steve Arnold to race out and block with his foot.

Jim Stevenson swung an effort narrowly over at the other end after a Moses Emmanuel cross had been air-kicked by Ross Lafayette.

The deadlock was broken inside seven minutes however as a Sammy Moore free-kick was not dealt with by the Minstermen defence allowing Grimes time to stroke the ball in off the post from eight yards out.

Matt Fry blazed over the bar and out of the ground from just a couple of yards further out at the other end soon after while Aarran Racine nodded tamely at Arnold after a deep free-kick to the far post from Simon Lappin on 16 minutes.

Five minutes later the lively right wing-back Rooney found Simon Heslop whose fierce, swerving drive was beaten away by Arnold, while Newton's curling follow-up was well over and Rhys Murphy's highly-ambitious lob from the left was easily claimed by the keeper soon after.

Heslop tested Arnold again with a low shot which lacked venom after cutting in from the left after Murphy's drive forward from midfield.

A rare chance at the other end saw Miller latch onto a ball down the left channel from Aswad Thomas and hold off Yan Klukowski before blazing across goal and past the angle of post and bar from 10 yards out.

The pressure continued at the other end and Rooney stung Arnold's palms with a rising shot at the far post following a Lafayette slip, however from the resultant corner from Lappin on 36 minutes, Dover failed to clear and the ball fell to Parkin - on loan from Forest Green - to smash home inside the six yard box.

Dover did press back before the break and after a Moore set-piece was only half cleared, Miller drove to the byline before firing into the middle where Lafayette's glancing touch on the slide went inches wide of the far post.

Emmanuel and Moore were withdrawn at the break with Ricky Modeste and new signing James Hurst coming on, but the visitors continued to enjoy the best of it and Parkin thundered against the post from 12 yards after a clever free-kick down the right of the Dover box.

Hurst was in the thick of the action as right wing-back with Sam Magri switching to centre midfield and endured a nervy moment when he pipped Lappin to the ball, only for the York man to howl in pain after an audible collision. Ref Adrian Quelch however penalised the City man for a late tackle.

Parkin scooped a half-volley down the throat of Arnold from the right of the box while Lafayette's long-range strike at last drew a save from City No1 Kyle Letheren who also watched a 35-yard Hurst free-kick fly wide midway through the second half.

Letheren could however do nothing about Dover's second with 18 minutes remaining as a Hurst cross flicked on by Modeste caused havoc, Lafayette firstly seeming to be hauled down as he attempted a volley before the ball broke to Miller who was tripped by Rooney.

Miller coolly rolled his 29th goal of the season to put his side back on top, but the lead lasted less than four minutes as Grimes fouled Parkin on half-way and Newton's high free-kick was headed down and into the corner by the unmarked Rooney with Arnold flat-footed on his line.

City went searching for a winner and sub Luke Woodland lashed wide as Dover's defence dropped deeper and deeper with six minutes remaining while Daniel Nti cut inside before shooting straight at Arnold from 12 yards moments later.

Arnold's legs were again needed to deny Nti, who was threaded through in stoppage time, to deny City all three points and keep Dover fifth.

Dover: Arnold, Magri, Thomas, Orlu, Sterling, Grimes, Stevenson, Moore (Hurst 46mins), Miller, Lafayette, Emmanuel (Modeste 46mins). Subs not used: Kinnear Jr, Pinnock, Marsh.

York: Letheren, Rooney, Whittle, Fry (Woodland 63mins), Heslop, Klukowski, Lappin, Newton, Parkin, Murphy (Nti 63mins), Racine. Subs not used: Fenwick, McDaid, Holmes.

Attendance: 1,308 (161 away fans).