Super substitute Kion Etete helped preserve Newport's unbeaten home run in League Two with his strike earning the Exiles a 1-1 draw against high-flyers York City.

The Cardiff City loanee's first touch was a golden one on his first appearance in amber. Just two minutes after entering the fray, he headed home Tanatswa Nyakuhwa's cross to cancel out Ollie Pearce's early opener.

York City’s Alex Hunt found space in midfield and threaded a superbly weighted through ball to split the County defence as Pearce was on hand to sweep home his fifth league goal of the season after just four minutes.

And while the first 25 minutes belonged firmly to York City, the dismissal of Jovan Malcolm for elbowing Lee Jenkins in the face shifted the momentum.

Matty Jacob first went close when Matt Dibley-Dias teed him up on the edge of the area but his strike fizzed narrowly wide.

A header from Shaquille Gwengwe, who started up front in Christian Doidge's absence, cannoned back off the bar before Nyakuhwa's effort forced Alfie McNally into action for the first time just after the break.

Then came Etete on 51 minutes and his arrival changed the game. His header brought County level before he fired narrowly wide just three minutes later as Newport searched for the lead.

McNally did not have a save to make in the first half but was the much busier keeper in the second as he saved attempts from Harrison Biggins and had to be out quickly to deal with numerous deliveries into his penalty area.

County pushed for the winner, but neither side could find a way to break the stalemate as York City failed to win once more on their travels in League Two.

Hayden Mullins' side move to 11th in the league and are now unbeaten in six league games with a trip to Rotherham on Tuesday 20 October. York City, meanwhile climbed a place higher into fourth and await the visit of Accrington Stanley next.

Newport County manager Hayden Mullins: "The second half performance I am happy with. It is always tough when you play against 10 men.

"The hardest thing is to break a team down [with 10]. They made it a little bit tough.

"The boys were better second half and moved the ball into areas of the pitch where we knew we could hurt them and then it was about the quality into the box.

"It's never easy against a team with 10 men. So pleasing that Kion [Etete] came in and got his first goal. We kept the pressure on for large parts of the second half and key we kept an eye on their counter-attacks.

"We controlled the second half really well. We didn't lose, we take the point."

York City manager Scott Lindsey on Jovan Malcolm's red card: "Not for me, if you sent him off for the elbow it is not an elbow. He is pivoting his body round to try and protect the ball.

"The players made more of it than there is and the referee is obviously not that experienced because he's got drawn into the crowd calling for it.

"That's completely ruined the game for me. [We] probably [will appeal against the decision].

"I thought we played better with 10 men. We became a bit of a counter-attacking team which doesn't suit us.

"The players left themselves out there. They were unbelievable. We have gained a point from that game, but we have gained so much more."