City 1, Notts County 1

Mark Yeates won’t like to be classed as a fringe player but for the second game running it was someone from outside the regular group who came up trumps for City.

The Irishman reinforced his claims for a recall to the starting ranks by emerging from the bench with a well-placed equaliser.

It saved City from a mugging against the division’s bottom side, who still pocketed a first point on their travels since August.

County’s recently-installed boss Shaun Derry, who played right back in the side beaten by City at Wembley in the 1996 play-offs, had called for the same fighting spirit shown at the weekend by Nottingham’s boxing world champion Carl Froch.

His team certainly floored the Bantams with a sucker punch just before the break to steal a lead that nobody saw coming.

At least the fans were spared another Tranmere as City found an extra edge to their game after the break to salvage a point. It was the least they deserved – but will still feel that a win had gone begging.

It wasn’t only the celebrities in the jungle troubled by bugs. City’s build-up had been affected by a stomach sickness doing the rounds – and that was certainly a factor.

At least the three players sent home from training on Monday as a precaution had all recovered in time, allowing Phil Parkinson to name the same starting line-up that had got City back to winning ways at MK Dons.

Defender Matt Taylor was not so fortunate and left the ground before kick-off feeling under the weather. Luke Oliver took his spot on the bench.

It was three-and-a-half years since Notts County’s last visit to Valley Parade – a goalless draw on the way to the League Two title.

Amazingly, Derry was their sixth manager since then and he arrived in West Yorkshire still looking for his first positive result in charge at the fifth attempt.

Nahki Wells, one of those in the City camp to be affected, showed that sickness had not dimmed his reactions. Seeing James Hanson flick on Rory McArdle’s long pass, the Bermudian got in front of defender Manny Smith but his poked shot just beat the far post.

Kyel Reid, another to have shaken off the lurgy, lofted an angled shot over the bar before County responded with their first attack of note. Matthew Bates half-cleared from the penalty area and Jamal Campbell-Ryce fired wide from 20 yards.

Wells had the ball in County’s net after 25 minutes but the flag was already up for offside.

It was far from a classic but City continued to do most of the pressing and Reid was inches away from a 26th birthday goal.

Jason Kennedy had the room to have a go himself but instead opted to slide in the winger. Reid’s cross-shot beat Bartosz Bialkowski but flew inches past the far post.

Not for the first time, Reid looked the most likely avenue of attack for the Bantams. One dangerous cross was nodded away from under his own bar by County skipper Dean Leacock and another needed a flying two-fisted punch from Bialkowski.

Wells had an opening after Hanson charged down Smith’s clearance but took the shot first time and hit it tamely straight at the keeper.

It was not happening for the Bantams and they were stunned just before the break when the visitors snatched an unexpected lead.

The goal stemmed from a miscommunication between Reid and James Meredith deep in County territory.

Notts seized the opportunity to break into the spaces left by City pushing forward, Jack Grealish working the ball to Marcus Haber whose low cross from the right wing was swept home by Gary Liddle.

County milked the moment – not surprisingly given their wretched form – and then proceeded to time-waste at every opportunity. Goalkeeper Bialkowski paid the price for dawdling over taking a free-kick and picked up the night’s first yellow card.

But the half-time whistle brought a smattering of boos, highlighting the frustration being felt around the place.

City did not deserve to go in behind but they had seemed to be playing in second gear, almost expecting to beat a team who had seemingly forgotten how to win.

Saturday’s hero Kennedy found himself surplus to requirements for the second half as Nathan Doyle earned a recall to the ranks.

That pleased the crowd, who were soon on their feet as City came within a whisker of an equaliser, Greg Tempest doing very well not to turn Reid’s cross into his own net under pressure.

There was a far better tempo about the home side as they attacked towards the Kop – and twice Hanson was foiled. Bialkowski kept out his initial header from Gary Jones’ corner before Leacock cleared his follow-up effort off the line in the ensuing scramble.

Sloppy play from Wells gifted possession for Danny Haynes to thrash a wild effort into the TL Dallas Stand but City were in the ascendancy.

Garry Thompson had made little impression in the first half but suddenly burst into life with a surging run from halfway. A turn of pace took him through the retreating defenders but Bialkowski was alive to the danger and came out quickly to make a vital save.

It was much improved fare for the crowd as Notts hung on to their slender advantage. Next it was Wells’ turn to stretch Bialkowski and then send an ambitious pot-shot wide from 30 yards.

Thompson predictably made way for Yeates with 25 minutes left – and the Irishman made an immediate impact.

Doyle angled a pass at Hanson, Wells laid the ball back and the substitute took a touch past his marker on the edge of the penalty area before firing a crisp drive into the bottom corner.

That proved to be the final involvement for Wells, the Bermudian clearly still feeling the after-effects of his weekend sickness as Alan Connell took over.

The equaliser was the least City deserved and gave them just over 20 minutes to force the victory. For Notts it was a survival mission and Kieron Freeman was booked for dragging down Reid on the run.

There was still a sporadic threat on the break and Campbell-Ryce produced a clever spin away from Bates before crossing for substitute Mark Fotheringham to nod over the City bar.

And City had a scare when Yeates conceded a cheap free-kick beside the box, the set-piece hitting Jones and dropping for Smith, whose hooked shot from close range was straight at McLaughlin.

But the visitors were reduced to ten men as full-time approached, with Faber shown a straight red for elbowing the busy Jones.

The striker was soon joined in the dressing room by Greg Abbott as the former City stalwart – and new Notts number two – was given his marching orders for arguing too strongly at the home side’s reaction to a Liddle challenge on Meredith.

But City did not have time to press home their numerical advantage as the game finished in a deeply unsatisfying stalemate.

Attendance: 12,808