Image by Matthew Appleby
York City were victorious in their pre-season trip to Whitby Town, winning 2-1 on Tuesday evening.
Manager Adam Hinshelwood fielded an opening side which saw four half time changes before a further seven were swapped at the 60th minute mark.
Whitby’s Nathan Thomas saw the ball in advanced positions twice early doors, hitting wide in the 5th minute before delivering a cross shortly after which just evaded forward Jake Charles on the counter.
Harrison Male collected a tame Thomas shot in the 19th minute following a driving run from the forward.
Ollie Pearce won City their first corner of the game in the 31st minute. Alex Hunt’s delivery evaded the leaping Lenell John-Lewis before being cleared.
Stephen Walker was next to take aim at the City net after finding space down the middle, however he struck a poor connection on the ball.
Hosts Whitby Town took the lead in the 34th minute through striker Jake Charles. The ever-present Thomas threaded through the forward who hit into Male’s right-hand near post.
Charles had a chance ten minutes later, picking up on a long-ball down the middle before rolling a shot into the path of Male.
Hinshelwood introduced Adam Crookes, Darragh O’Connor, Dipo Akinyemi and Ricky Aguiar immediately at half time.
Akinyemi’s impact was almost instant, squaring for Ollie Pearce to tuck home and draw City level in the 48th minute.
City began to move the ball, and control the game, with more authority in the second half.
Alex Hunt’s quality cross from the right-hand side was rescued on the opposite flank by Crookes.
Akinyemi was picked out before he skipped to the side and had his shot blocked back at him.
Bland produced a superb save on his testimonial occasion to deny Akinyemi at the near post on the 60th minute mark.
The ‘keeper produced another stand-out save in the 64th minute, beating away Akinyemi’s free kick from close range.
Sinclair looked to make it two in two across pre-season as he went close on goal various times.
It was Marvin Armstrong who netted to give City the lead. Billy Chadwick’s 70th minute cross was collected in the middle by Armstrong, who spun in the area to get the shot off and dispatch.
Midfielder partner Dan Batty looked to chip in with similar shortly after when a left-footed strike was blocked away, before Sinclair arrowed wide.
Sinclair executed a 76th minute counter smartly, holding his run inside City’s half before running into the open space. He stumbled in the area before returning to his feet and hitting at Bland’s near-post, which was well guarded.
Bland thwarted Sinclair again ten minutes, tipping his shot away from danger after he cut inside.
Whitby Town closed out Shane Bland’s Testimonial by substituting the goalkeeper to a standing ovation in the 87th minute.
WHITBY TOWN: Bland (C) (87′ Cranston), Smith, Haswell, Liddle, Sukar, Whelan (67′ Fergus), Doherty, Griffiths, Charles, Walker (81′ Parkinson), Thomas.
UNUSED SUBS: Medcalf, Trialist.
YORK CITY: Male (60′ Watson), Howe (60′ Felix), McLaughlin (46′ Crookes), Hunt (60′ Batty), Pearce (60′ Armstrong), Crooks (46′ O’Connor), Nathaniel-George (60′ Sinclair), John-Lewis (C) (46′ Akinyemi), Trialist (60′ Chadwick), Marshall (60′ Fallowfield), Gibson-Booth. (46′ Aguiar).
UNUSED SUBS: Tate
ATTENDANCE: 770.