Poor defending from a corner saw Exeter City surrender a one-goal lead against York City as they searched for their first win of the season.
The Grecians had taken a sixth-minute lead through David Wheeler and had, for large parts of the match, defended well.
However, a lack of concentration with eight minutes to go, saw Keith Lowe get a free header at the back post to level the scores.
It was goal the visitors hardly deserved as they created little throughout the 90 minutes to suggest they were going to get back into the match.
City were the better side throughout the game, but failed to get that second goal that would have killed the visitors off.
Having been criticised for their first half displays in recent defeats to Burton Albion and Plymouth Argyle, the Grecians responded with a commanding start to the game.
Paul Tisdale made three changes to the side that had lost to Burton Albion in midweek, recalling David Wheeler, Aaron Dawson and Arron Davies to the starting line-up with Danny Butterfield, Jimmy Keohane and Jordan Tillson making way.
There were a couple of switches in positions as well with Scot Bennett playing up front, alongside Graham Cummins, while Matt Oakley played at centre half.
The changes paid off as Bennett made a nuisance of himself up front, while Oakley constantly picked up the ball from deep and played accurate long balls forward to get City on the front foot.
Oakley in fact created the opening goal as he picked the ball up just inside the York half and floated a perfectly weighted pass to the edge of the six yard box, where Wheeler rose above Mavin McCoy to head the ball across goal and into the bottom right-hand corner.
York responded moments later as Jake Hyde broke down the right side of the pitch but, as he played a ball across the box, Anthony Straker lost his footing at the crucial moment and the chance went begging.
Lowe also headed a good chance wide from a corner, but apart from that York rarely threatened.
City, who controlled the territory and possession for large parts of the first half, didn't create much either though. Liam Sercombe and Matt Grimes both had shots from the edge of the area, but they were blocked by defenders.
York had the first shot of the second half after Penn had cleverly won a free-kick off Grimes just outside the area. However, former Plymouth Argyle midfielder Luke Summerfield put his effort a foot over the crossbar.
The visitors' frustrations then began to show as Jake Hyde blazed over the top from just inside the area.
However, despite the York's failure to create clear-cut openings, it still felt as though City needed a second goal to be sure of the points.
They didn't get much help from referee Stephen Martin, who gave Cummins little support all game as he battled with the York centre-backs.
The most telling of these decisions came 15 minutes into the second half when Cummins was played in on goal by a great long ball up field from Oakley.
The City striker had got in behind Lowe, who was trying to pull him back but when Cummins went down, just outside the box, the referee dismissed the appeals. That brought jeers from the home crowd, who five minutes later ironically cheered one of the few decisions Martin did give in City's favour in the second half.
Cummins had another half chance on 69 minutes, but this time Lowe got back to put enough pressure on the striker who fired straight at Michael Ingham.
As the game entered the final 15 minutes the York pressure began to show. Bennett and Woodman both put in telling headers to clear dangerous crosses into the box, before Lowe headed inches over the crossbar from a corner.
So the warning signs were there before Penn crossed to the back post with eight minutes left for Lowe to head home.
City tried to get ahead once more, but the best chance they created fell to Davies whose shot was blocked by McCoy.
At the other end the last play of the game saw York swing another corner into the box that Lowe got his head. Thankfully for City though his effort was straight at Pym and easily saved.
Exeter City (5-3-2): Pym, Woodman, Bennett ©, Baldwin, Sercombe, Oakley, Davies, Grimes (Keohane, 79), Dawson, Wheeler, Cummins. Subs not used: Hamon, Riley-Lowe, Tillson, Jay, Pope, Watkins
York City (4-4-2): Ingham, McCoy, Ilesanmi, Coulson, Summerfield, Penn ©, Straker (Meikle, 53), Lowe, Winfield, Platt (Fletcher, 61), Hyde (Hirst, 78). Subs: Mooney, McCombe, Parslow, Montrose.
Attendance: 2,741 (141 away)
![Exeter City 1 York City 1: Match report]( "Exeter City 1 York City 1: Match report")
