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Having entered a town in the midst of a foot and mouth surveillance zone, City's players would have been forgiven for feeling like lambs to the slaughter considering their recent results as they faced an Aldershot team bidding for a fifth successive victory.
But City approached the match with plenty of attacking intent as flying wingers Martyn Woolford and Nick Hegarty flanked recalled front two Chris Beardsley and Onome Sodje.
Hegarty and Sodje both went on to have chances cleared off the line and Aldershot did not muster a single shot on target until the 57th minute, when Scott Davies' curling free-kick deflected off Nicky Wroe's head and beat on-loan 'keeper Stephen Henderson at the near post.
Former City loan striker Rob Elvins, who failed to hit the target in nine games as a KitKat Crescent player last season, then added a flattering second goal to give the Shots maximum points.
A third successive defeat and blank scoresheet left the loyal band of travelling City supporters wondering what might have been had their side showed a little bit more composure, intelligence and belief in the opposition's penalty box.
In a bright start, the visitors managed their first effort on goal after just 37 seconds, with Woolford heading over from a Mark Robinson cross.
City also defended impressively during the opening 45 minutes with David McGurk executing a perfect tackle as Louis Soares bore down on Henderson's goal.
Sodje's low cross from the left then struck Beardsley and ricocheted narrowly wide before Elvins missed the target with a low drive at the other end after a Darren Craddock misjudgement.
A heroic headed goalline clearance by Rob Gier kept Aldershot level on 29 minutes after a well-struck 20-yard drive by Hegarty following captain Manny Panther's back heel from a Woolford corner to the near post.
Shortly afterwards, Beardsley tested home 'keeper Nikki Bull from the edge of the box and, on 44 minutes, saw an eight-yard effort deflected just wide after Sodje had chested down a Hegarty cross.
On-loan Reading midfielder Scott Davies drove narrowly wide from the edge of the box in first-half stoppage time but Aldershot went in at half-time without forcing a save from Henderson.
City continued to take the game to their high-flying hosts after the interval with Sodje's downward header cleared off the line by Ben Harding following Wroe's corner.
Two minutes later, McGurk fouled Soares as the Shots broke quickly down the left flank and Davies' subsequent free-kick glanced off the top of Wroe's head to deceive Henderson.
Hegarty then curled a dead-ball opportunity narrowly over on the hour mark for the Minstermen before Anthony Straker crossed from the left for Elvins to head in at the far post.
City boss McEwan argued that Straker had pulled Woolford's shirt in the build up to the goal and was even angrier when referee James Linington pulled back play for an offside decision against Aldershot as substitute Richard Brodie raced clear at the other end of the pitch.
Beardsley had earlier lost his footing and failed to convert as he rounded Bull and, in stoppage time, McGurk sliced wide eight yards from goal.
The final whistle signalled City's seventh defeat in their opening ten fixtures - a sorry statistic that was not foreseen by anybody connected with the club, but the performance suggested the tide can certainly be turned.
A penalty box predator, though, could hold the key to progress with Hegarty and Woolford both having the ability to get round the back of defences and create opportunities.
Match facts
Aldershot 2 (Wroe (og) 57, Elvins 73), York City 0
York City: Stephen Henderson 7, Darren Craddock 7, David McGurk 8, Darren Kelly 7, Mark Robinson 7, Martyn Woolford 7, Nicky Wroe 7, Manny Panther 6, Nick Hegarty 8, Chris Beardsley 6, Onome Sodje 6.
Substitutions: Brodie (for Beardsley 75).
Subs not used: Evans, Parslow, Brayson, Purkiss.
Key: 10 - Faultless; 9 - Outstanding; 8 - Excellent; 7 - Good; 6 - Average; 5 - Below par; 4 - Poor; 3 - Dud; 2 - Hopeless; 1 - Retire.
City's star man: Hegarty - went closest to scoring for City when others failed to find their feet in front of goal.
Aldershot: Nikki Bull, Rob Gier, David Winfield, Rhys Day, Anthony Straker, Louis Soares, Scott Davies, Lewis Chalmers (Ricky Newman 70), Ben Harding, Rob Elvins, John Grant.
Subs not used: Danny Hylton, Kirk Hudson, Joel Grant, Mikhael Jaimez Ruiz.
Source: Report by Dave Flett, posted on http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/