 York started 2012 – 13 by winning five of fourteen matches , and by late @-@ October 2012 were ninth in the table . They dropped down the table in the following months , but were still in contention for a play @-@ off place after beating Burton Albion 3 – 0 in the New Year . After this match , York failed to win eleven consecutive matches , and Mills was sacked in March 2013 after a 2 – 0 home defeat to Bradford City . Under his replacement , former Northern Ireland manager Nigel Worthington , York avoided relegation by winning four of their last five matches . They finished their first League Two season in seventeenth place . York won four of their first twenty @-@ three matches of 2013 – 14 , and by late @-@ December 2013 were third from the bottom of the table . A number of influential signings in January 2014 helped York improve their form , and from early @-@ February they were unbeaten in seventeen consecutive matches , conceding no goals from open play . York finished in seventh place and played Fleetwood Town in the play @-@ off semi @-@ final . After losing the first leg 1 – 0 at home , they drew 0 – 0 at Highbury Stadium in the second leg . Worthington resigned as manager in October 2014 after York won only one of their opening fourteen matches of 2014 – 15 . He was succeeded by former Scunthorpe United manager Russ Wilcox . York remained in the lower reaches of the table . They avoided relegation with a late @-@ season run of four wins from five matches , and they finished the season in eighteenth place . 
