York City paid for missed chances as they extended their winless run to seven games against Altrincham at Moss Lane.
Top scorer Richard Brodie and recent arrival Jamie Clarke both proved wasteful as the visitors failed to break their way out of their recent bad spell.
New signing Paul Harsley was handed a place on the bench after joining the club on loan from Chesterfield until the end of the season.
Adam Smith was showing well for the visitors during the opening stages and later crossed for Michael Gash to have a header deflected behind.
York again threatened through left-back James Meredith and Brodie before veteran Colin Little shot wide at the opposite end.
The Minstermen were also frustrated at the start of the second-half when Brodie was sent clear and denied by a fine save from Stuart Coburn.
The visitors continued to attack with Courtney Pitt, Levi Mackin, Gash and Brodie each trying to break the deadlock.
But the vital goal simply wouldn’t arrive and Clake then failed to turn the ball in after Djoumin Sangare had knocked on another Smith delivery.
Substitute Michael Rankine later thought he’d won it when connecting with Ben Purkiss’ cross, only for team-mate Brodie to help the ball over the crossbar.
Altrincham: Coburn, Densmore, Young, Williams, Brown, Denham (Carden 65), Danylyk, Doran, Clee (Welch 78), Senior, Little (Moyo 57)
subs (unused): Saunders, McAliskey
York City: Ingham, Purkiss, Sangare, Graham, Meredith, Smith, Mackin (Harsley 65), Clarke, Pitt, Brodie, Gash (Rankine 69)
subs (unused): Gall, Pacquette, Parslow
Ref: J. Simpson (Lancashire)
Att: 1,236
