For the second time in four days and the sixth time this season, Altrincham lost a game by a goal conceded deep into second-half-added time.

This time it was the ninety-sixth minute when Fagan-Walsh headed home a back post nod-down from Kitching to give the Minstermen a 2-1 win.

Whilst there could be little argument that York's match statistic of a 22 shots to 3 superiority in terms of shots on goal did not warrant the three points, Alty earlier had felt hard done-by regarding York's first-half equaliser.

Altrincham had taken a 36th minute lead when York's Zak Johnson's mispass allowed Knowles to run at goal, round the keeper, and slot the ball past two retreating defenders on the goal line.

But, inside two minutes, York had levelled after Banks, off the ball, had tripped Golden on the York right but play was allowed to continue before a now unmarked Banks received the ball and scored.

Apart from a brief period around the hour-mark, York dominated the second half. Their late winner came when Batty's ball towards the back post was headed down by Kitching for Fagan-Walcott to nod hime from close range (90+6 mins).

Alty finished the day in sixteenth place and barring some bizarre scoring they are safe in the National League for next season. But 23 defeats from 43 league fixtures is a sorry tally and their highest at national level since 2011 when they suffered relegation from the Blue Square Premier after 24 defeats in 46 matches.

SCORERS:

• 36 mins: Jimmy KNOWLES (York City 0 ALTRINCHAM 1)
• 38 mins: Ollie BANKS (York City 1 ALTRINCHAM 1)
• 90(+6) mins: Malachi FAGAN-WALCOTT (York City 2 ALTRINCHAM 1)

REFEREE: Mr Will Davis

ATTENDANCE: 8,162 (279 in away section)

TEAM NEWS:

Ross, Banks, Sass-Davies, Olson and Forde remained sidelined by injury, a list to which Josh Grant was added for this game following his needing to be subbed on Good Friday. In addition to those six, both Barnes and Reddin remained suspended.

Two changes were made to the starting eleven; Cooper replaced Grant and Weaver was displaced by Eddy Jones.

York included two former Altrincham men in Newby and King.

LINE-UP:

YORK CITY (Red shirts, blue shorts, white socks) 1. Harrison Male, 3. Mark Kitching, 29. Zak Johnson, 4. Malachi Fagan-Walcott, 14. Ben Brookes, 21. Hiram Boateng, 8. Alex Hunt, 15. Jeff King, 10. Ollie Pearce (c), 28. Ollie Banks, 30. Alex Newby. Subs: 18. Dan Batty, 2. Ryan Fallowfield, 12. Joe Grey, 5. Callum Howe, 23. Joe Felix, 22. Greg Olley, 31. George Sykes-Kenworthy.

ALTRINCHAM (Black shirts with yellow diagonals, yellow shorts and black socks): 30. Luke Hutchinson, 14. Matty Kosylo, 34. Dan Sassi, 5. Jake Cooper, 23. Tylor Golden, 22. Tom Crawford (c), 28. Liam Humbles, 8. Isaac Marriott, 40. Charlie Kirk, 33. Eddy Jones, 11. Jimmy Knowles. Subs: 27. Louie Fallon (gk), 3. Sam Reed, 7. Olly Crankshaw, 10. Otis Khan, 12. Kian Breckin, 17. Lucas Weaver, 25. Joel Bailey.

BACKGROUND:

Rochdale's defeat on Good Friday had allowed York City to go to the top of the National League on goal diference ahead of this meeting with Altrincham who were in a run of indifferent results. This was the Robins' sixth game in 17 days with just five points earned so far from that sequence.

REPORT:

In front of a sell-out crowd, Altrincham kicked off and Golden's body-check on Kitching brought an immediate freekick for York (10 secs). Captain Tom Crawford was unexpectedly at the head of the attack but it was York's Newby who won the game's first corner from a deflected shot (3 mins). Alty's response was an advance up the left but, although Kirk's shot was on target, it was under-powered (7 mins).

A mishit shot by Pearce followed, at the other end, by a wild effort from Kosylo (11 mins). A neat passing move by York then induced a scrambled clearance by Alty as the hosts continued on the front foot. However, after another York corner had been seen off, Jimmy Knowles advanced into the York box but two defenders converged to block his advance (20 mins).

A trip on Kitching by Kosylo now brought him a booking and gave York a freekick from the left (25 mins) from which an Altrincham counter-attack came to nothing. For Altricnham Humbles was again impressing in midfield before another foul by Kosylo narrowly avoided his earning a second caution (28 mins).

After another York corner had come to nothing, a poor pass inside from the right by Johnson went to Knowles. He advanced into the box, impressively rounded the advancing keeper and then cleverly scored despite two defenders having retreated to the goal line (36 mins). But any hopes that Alty's recent good record over the Minstermen would repeat itself were tempered inside two minutes when York equalised.

However, the York goal should not have stood as even the York commentators on York Hospital Radio and DAZN identified a clear foul by Banks on Golden in the build up. With the Alty man brought to the ground, Banks advanced unmarked towards goal where he received the ball before scoring past Hutchinson (38 mins).

After this, Newby's blatant foul for some reason did not attract the same yellow card punishment suffered by Kosylo earlier before a smart turn by Crawford enabled him to get in a shot which was comfortably saved by Male (41 mins).

Another Kosylo foul elicted shouts of "Off, off" from the home support but Mr Davis settled for a lecture. In the two added minutes at the end of the half, Boateng was allowed to advance and smash a 25-yarder against the outside of Hutchinson's left post, with the keeper needing treatment after seeming to collide with the upright .

To save Kosylo from himself, Altrincham brought on Khan to replace him at half time

The hosts started the half with two early corners (50 mins) and a third followed shortly after Banks had fired over the bar (55 mins). Hutchinsom was already timewasting, an offence which has brought him eight bookings this season.

After a first quarter of an hour of York pressure, Altrincham themselves enjoyed a few minutes in the ascendant around the hour mark. In this spell, Knowles won a corner and then a trip on Humbles yielded a freekick for which Brookes was booked (59 mins)

But York pressure was soon resumed and Hutchinson soon had to save a 25 yarder from Hunt (64 mins).

Stuart Maynard made a double swap as Grey and Olley replaced King and Hunt (68 mins). With Alty largely on the back foot, Neil Gibson introduced Crankshaw in place of Kirk (76 mins). However, the home pressure continued before Batty replaced Brookes (81 mins).

With almost all of the play in the Altrincham half, York nevertheless struggled to create a clear chance before Alty made a double swap with Reed replacing Humbles and Joel Bailey making his debut in place of Knowles (86 mins). The young defender slotted into midfield.

As the ninetieth minute was reached York won a corner but it was poorly taken. However, an ominous eight minutes of added time were then decreed.

In the first of these minutes Felix replaced Banks and when Alty survived a 94th minute corner and then saw a low Kitching shot diverted onto the crossbar, it looked as if they might hold on for a valuable point (90+4 mins).

But for the second time in four days and the sixth time this season, Altrincham were to lose the game to a very late goal. This time, Batty's cross from the right was nodded down by Kitching at the back post and the ball fell for a close-range header into the net by Fagan-Walcott (90+6 mins).

So it was heartbreak again for the Robins who, despite not earning a point, would now seem to be safe in the National League barring three straight wins by Brackley and a massive swing in goal difference with the Northants side 18 goals worse off at the moment.

It is now five games without a win for sixteenth-placed Altrincham who host Eastleigh, next, on Saturday.