WHAT a difference a few days makes! On Saturday City fans basked in late summer sunshine but watched in horror as their side turned in a miserable show against Harrogate.

Skip forward to Tuesday and rain so heavy that any right-thinking duck would waddle for cover but they were all smiling as Lancaster lit up the Giant Axe.

Okay, the game finished 1-1 but City should have won. A rick by keeper Jamie Speare cost the Dolly Blues dear as he hesitated to claim a cross.

But that error apart, City were outstanding, won every 50-50 ball and scored one of the goals of the season.

The first half was evenly balance with both sides going close. Even though the Robins had more possession City never looked like conceding as Jamie Murphy was outstanding.

And Lancaster were left stunned when Neil Prince and Chris Beech were spectacularly denied within seconds by a stunning double save from visiting keeper Stuart Coburn.

City were behind on 48 minutes as an aimless through ball should have been Speare's but he hesitated and Marcus Hallows nipped in to score.

That was rough on Lancaster but they dug deep and started to outplay Alty. And when the leveller came it was sensational.

Chris Beech controlled the ball and sent it wide to Martin Clark, whose cross was met by Gary Bauress who dived to head home. Simple but glorious.

The Blues surged forward in search of a winner but were denied by woodwork, keeper and bad luck.

And at the end Speare atoned for his error with a stop to deny old Blue Colin Potts a winner for Alty.

CITY: Speare, Clark, Scott, Sparrow, Murphy, Stone, Bauress, Beech, Jones, Black, Prince. Subs: Dawes, Yeomans, Elderton, McMahon, Stanhope.