Image by Adam Davy
York City played out a thrilling pre-season friendly against Darlington at Blackwell Meadows on Tuesday night, drawing 3-3.
Trialist B, Dipo Akinyemi and Tyrese Sinclair all netted for City, however Darlington did at one stage take the lead in the game.
Manager Adam Hinshelwood took a trimmed squad to Darlington as we approach full 90 minute game into legs for certain players.
York had a chance inside the opening handful of minutes. Alex Hunt’s delivery from a set-piece was put wide by Callum Howe.
Billy Chadwick raced onto a direct longball in the 9th minute, striking wide in the end.
Ollie Pearce had the clearest chance of the fixture so far in the 16th minute. A close range header was directed wide by the forward man.
City broke the deadlock in the 20th minute through Trialist B. His right-footed, curling strike bounced in off Pete Jameson’s left-hand post to give York the lead.
Trialist B went again three minutes later, this time hitting a left-footed effort high and wide.
Goalkeeper Harrison Male was called into action in the 28th minute. An acrobatic bicycle kick effort was tipped wide by the shot-stopper.
Male denied Darlington again six minutes later. The Quakers broke away through Jack Maskell, who spotted Male off his line. The forward tried to curl an effort around City’s ‘keeper, but Male dove to palm for a corner.
Maskell rose highest to the incoming delivery, hitting his header straight at Male.
Darlington levelled the game up just before half-time. Howe’s challenge gave Will Hatfield an attacking set-piece to go at, which they did. The shot crashed off the crossbar before dropping down into Male’s net.
The hosts came quick out the blocks in the second half too, turning the game around by the 49th minute. Trialist B’s clumsy challenge allowed Cedric Main to convert from the spot.
Jarrett Rivers came close to adding another onto Darlington’s lead in the 63rd minute when his shot bounced off the post from inside the area and into Male who gathered.
Half time substitution Dipo Akinyemi did have a number of half chances in the second half, but striking wide on most.
The attacker’s goal did come however – prodding in a 71st minute equaliser after receiving the ball at close range following a set-piece.
Tyrese Sinclair edged City into the lead shortly after. Initially chasing the ball down to the corner flag, Sinclair drove inwards before a one-two with Pearce allowed the forward to get in front of the Darlington defence and hammer past Jameson into the far side of the net.
A second penalty was conceded minutes later after the referee deemed Rory Watson’s ball winning punch to be a penalty. Main again converted for the hosts.
York played out the final ten minutes of the game with ten men after Leon Gibson-Booth left the field through injury. Previously substituted players could not be put back on in this instance, so a good final ten test followed for City.
Main dragged a couple of shots wide of York’s net as City got through to take a draw against the National League North side.
The Minstermen return to action on Saturday afternoon when they host Notts County (3pm kick off) in the final LNER Community Stadium pre-season friendly fixture.
DARLINGTON: Jameson, Hedley, Platt, Blythe, Hatfield (68′ Haase), Maskell, Main, Rivers, Salkeld (42′ Payne), Leesley, Cornish (46′ Forbes).
UNUSED SUBS: McGrath, Harker, Small, Maw.
YORK CITY: Male (65′ Watson), Howe, McLaughlin (65′ Sinclair), Hunt (65′ Hunt), Pearce, Trialist B (56′ Armstrong), Chadwick (46′ Akinyemi), Felix (46′ O’Connor), Marshall (56′ Aguiar), Gibson-Booth, Trialist A (65′ Fallowfield).
ATTENDANCE: 858
