Almost 8,000 fans tuned in for City’s final home game of 2025, where they had hoped to see the Minstermen equal a club record of eight consecutive wins set in 2009/10.
Certainly, in the first half, they looked like doing just that.
Stuart Maynard’s side made an electric start, registering seven shots in the opening eight minutes, but had only Ollie Pearce’s 37th minute goal to show for a first half in which they had undoubtedly been on top.
Spurred on by Joe Grey and Ollie Banks their attacking play was at times outstanding, with both Malachi Fagan-Walcott and Pearce seeing efforts ruled out in the minutes either side of the break, goals which would have likely put the hosts out of sight.
However, City couldn’t continue their rhythm in the second half while Boston emerged a completely different team with a renewed energy that saw them turn the game on its head.
Ollie Banks’ 62nd-minute dismissal added another sting to the match, the returning midfielder given his marching orders after a tackle on the lively Alex Lankshear.
And Boston didn’t take long in capitalising on their man advantage, Lankshear finding the back of the net via a deflection off the right-hand post before Connor Teale, a half-time substitute for Matty Carson, headed them in front from a corner with five minutes to play.
The visitors looked the likelier to score the decisive fourth goal of the match in injury time, but it was Stones who instead proved the hero for City, latching onto Harrison Male’s pinpoint pass to thunder an effort past Killian Barrett to ensure the spoils were shared.
Maynard made one change from City’s emphatic win over Truro six days prior, with Banks preferred to Greg Olley, who dropped to the bench in a bid to manage his minutes across the festive period following his return from a lengthy injury layoff.
Sheffield Wednesday loanee Barrett returned between the sticks for Boston, and Carson in defence, in place of Rhys Lovet and Ken Aboh, who were both named on the bench. City legend, and promotion winner, Lenell John-Lewis also started for the visitors, receiving a hero’s welcome from the sold-out home crowd.
Having taken just five minutes to score against Truro last time out, York looked set for another fast start with an early siege on the Boston goal.
An electric opening eight minutes saw them register seven shots, with the visitors living dangerously as a combination of a series of stunning Barrett saves, last-ditch blocks and the underside of the crossbar spared their blushes.
Barrett was called into action for the first time with just two minutes on the clock after a neat one-two between Fagan-Walcott and Grey saw the latter deliver a teasing cross to Stones, who was twice denied by the shot-stopper from point-blank range.
And it wasn’t long before Grey had the beating of Carson again down the right wing, but Stones’ looping header was straight at Barrett.
City came even closer on the seven-minute mark, with only the underside of the crossbar denying Alex Newby as he let fly from the edge of the box after a Stones effort had been half-cleared by the Boston defence.
Chances continued to fall York’s way from a corner and then a free-kick from just inside the attacking half, but though Fagan-Walcott found himself in an advanced position, his backheel was straight at Barrett.
It took until the 25th minute for Boston to formulate their first half-chance as a neat one-two set up a cross towards Dylan Hill, but Callum Howe did just enough to put him off his stride and Male made the save.
Crosses from Newby and Grey were cleared before the Minstermen finally found the breakthrough eight minutes before the break, Banks releasing Grey into space on the right wing, with his low cross turned home by Pearce from the penalty spot.
That goal had temporarily sent City top of the table, and the celebrations almost got even better when Stones latched onto Fagan-Walcott’s long ball forwards, but Barrett recovered well to deny the striker one-on-one.
York did have the ball in the back of the net in first half injury time after Alex Hunt’s long-range strike was spilled by Barrett to the feet of Pearce, who crossed for Fagan-Walcott to blast the ball into the back of the net from close range, but the defender was denied by the offside flag as the hosts were forced to settle for just a one-goal lead at the break.
Boston rolled the dice at half time, introducing Teale for Carson, and appeared to be a completely different team than the one that had been pinned in their own half for large parts before the break.
It was the Minstermen who started the half the better, seeing a second goal chalked off within a minute of the restart after Banks’ teasing right-wing cross was headed home by Pearce from an offside position.
However, that proved to be just the wake-up call that the visitors needed. It wasn’t long before they found their stride, with Male called into action to collect Frankie Maguire’s cross/shot before the forward blasted an effort over the bar.
Chances still fell City’s way, though less clear-cut than they had in the first half. A foul on Fagan-Walcott won a free-kick on the right wing, but Dan Batty’s delivery evaded everyone.
Boston then saw a tame penalty appeal waved away on the hour after Marcel Lavinier passed both Newby and Kitching before going to ground inside the box.
However, the game turned on its head just three minutes later as Banks, who had been one of York’s best players, was shown a straight red card for a late challenge on Lankshear.
Maguire shot both high and wide before the visitors equalised with their first shot on target with 17 minutes remaining, a right-wing cross finding Lankshear, whose angled drive deflected off the right-hand post on its way into the back of the net.
Maynard introduced Hiram Boateng from the bench in the aftermath as City switched to a back four, but Boston were good value as they took the lead with five minutes left to play. A corner was played short, with Teale heading home at the near post from close range.
Seven minutes of added time gave the hosts an opportunity to hit back, but though the visitors looked the more likely to secure the three points, Male released Stones with a pinpoint pass, the striker making no mistake with a thunderous finish to earn City a share of the spoils.
York will hope to return to winning ways and break their curse at Altrincham on Tuesday.
**YORK CITY: Male, Kitching, Fagan-Walcott, Howe ©, Hunt, Stones, Pearce, Grey (Felix 88), Batty (Olley 88), Banks, Newby (Boateng 79).**
**UNUSED SUBSTITUTES: Brookes, Hewitt, Johnson, Sykes-Kenworthy.**
GOALS: Pearce (37), Stones (90+6)
YELLOW CARD: Stones
RED CARD: Banks
BOSTON UNITED: Barrett, Sloggett, Hill (Aboh 79), Maguire, John-Lewis, Carson (Teale 46), Lankshear, Richards, Crowther, Gallagher, Lavinier.
UNUSED SUBSTITUTES: Lovett, Donnelly, Hiwula, Fogarty, Waldock.
GOALS: Lankshear (73), Teale (85)
YELLOW CARDS: Carson, Teale.
YORK’S STAR MAN: Joe Grey
REFEREE: Gareth Thomas
ATTENDANCE: 7,935 (459)
HALF TIME: 1-0
SHOTS (ON TARGET): 20 (10) | 9 (2)
CORNERS: 4 | 3
OFFSIDES: 5 | 1
FOULS: 6 | 5