A youthful York City side were defeated 4-2 at Pickering Town in Tuesday’s pre-season outing.
The first chance of the game fell to Tom Hewson inside ten minutes.
Sutton Greening pushed the ball through to the City forward, who had his first attempt blocked before the second bite at the cherry was incredibly hooked off the goal line by a defender.
Seasoned Pickering striker Souleymane Couilbaly grabbed the match’s opening goal in the 11th minute.
Using his skill and alertness to receive the ball and get around Elvis Hall, he sped forward and coolly slid the ball past Campbell White.
A few minutes later, they almost had another opportunity to get in, but White was quick off his line to smother it this time.
A lofted cross in from Greening almost found the head of Hewson, but it was slightly too deep for the attacker to make any connection.
In the 24th minute, the hosts scored a spectacular second. Charlie Thompson saw the opening, cutting in from the left and bending a strike into the far top corner.
White made an important stop moments after, blocking a close-range effort with his foot, then the City defenders had to put their bodies on the line to prevent a number of quickfire shots.
Nine minutes before the break, Hewson cut the deficit.
Captain Ollie Belleh found the ball in midfield and played a through ball for the 17-year-old to battle his way towards, and once he fought off his marker, all he had to do was round the ‘keeper and smash it home.
Ben Leyland was next to go for goal, a first-time effort that was always rising over the York goalframe.
The Minstermen were looking to make an immediate impact early in the second half, and almost did – centre-back Elvis Hall found himself marauding into the penalty area, before laying it off to Lucas Russell, whose tame strike was cleared.
Then, the equaliser came in the 58th minute, scored by no other than Hewson.
Oscar Woolford used his electric pace to beat his man and put in the low cross across goal for the forward to tap home.
Not long after, City thought they had come from behind to lead.
Cleverly lifting the ball over the Pikes’ shot-stopper and poking it goalbound, Hewson thought he had the match ball wrapped up; however, after a significant delay, the goal was ruled out following a heroic clearance off the line, and the officials deemed it not to have crossed.
Shortly following that, Belleh came close, striking against the woodwork at the back post from a free-kick.
Pickering went back ahead again on 71 minutes, a good ball into the danger area diverted high into the net.
York continued to threaten but couldn’t find that next goal – instead, our Trialist unleashed a low shot straight at the ‘keeper, who saved with ease.
Late on, the home side sealed the win.
A blistering run down the left from the winger set up Matty Dawes to finish off the move and complete a winning performance in pre-season for the Pikes.
York City: White, Kydd (Trialist 60′), Beadle, Belleh (C), Hall, Stiver, Woolford (Turner 74′), Russell, Hewson (Webster 77′), Greening (Ozisik 68′), Binns (Penrose 77′).
Pickering Town: Jackson, Brooksby, Weston, Leyland, Thorton, Mani, McGinty, Coulibaly, Thompson, Trialist A, Avison (C).
Subs: Beard, Nock, Dyer, Thewlis, Dawes, Blackburn, Drury, Heslop, Coulson.
Attendance: 928
