Image by Tom Poole
York City were beaten 2-1 by Championship side Sheffield United in our opening first friendly of pre-season at the LNER Community Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
Manager Adam Hinshelwood opted for a different starting XI per half, just like opposition boss Chris Wilder.
Sheffield United won the first corner of the afternoon. The cross from Sydie Peck being head wide in the end.
City struck first after just nine minutes through Tyrese Sinclair. A firm challenge from Friday’s signing Ricky Aguiar saw the attacker through with plenty of space to run into, lifting his goal over ‘keeper Adam Davies.
Supporters thought Ollie Pearce had doubled up on City’s lead after 20 minutes, only for the offside flag to halt celebrations.
Joe Felix had found the forward in the middle with a direct long ball from the right hand flank, but Pearce was deemed to have been in an offside position.
Aguiar looked to strike the spectacular from the half-way line just three minutes later when looking up and spotting Davies adventuring off his line, who retreated well in the end.
Sheffield United drew level in the 27th minute. Harrison Male’s save following a header inside the area was blasted back at him and into the back of the net.
Male was quick up to prevent Peck from rolling in to complete a quick counter attack in the 35th minute.
With substitutions at half time – Rory Watson was subsequently called into action in the 58th minute.
The ‘keeper flung a leg at the point-blank range strike from Anis Ben Slimane, denying the goalscoring opportunity from bursting the net.
Four minutes later, the midfielder curled a shot high and wide of the mark.
Blades began to apply real pressure onto City’s second half side.
Oli Arblaster slipped through the tricky Will Osula, who produced a stepover before turning on a burst of pace and hitting a shot just wide across goal.
Further chances fell of Ben Slimane and Osula, of which neither were taken.
Watson was called into another save in the 70th minute, palming away Rhian Brewster’s curling power shot.
Dipo Akinyemi had the City support wooed in the 74th minute, producing a lovely, skilled backheel to pick out Paddy McLaughlin down the left-hand flank.
He sent the cross over to Lenell John-Lewis before Akinyemi blasted into a Blades body.
The visitors struck to take the lead in the 76th minute. Osula bent a quality shot into the far side of the net from outside the area.
Adam Hinshelwood introduced youngsters Bill Marshall and Leon Gibson-Booth to the occasion before the conclusion of City’s first pre-season outting.
YORK CITY 1st HALF: Male, Fallowfield, Crookes, Howe (C), Sinclair, Hunt, Pearce, Nathaniel-George, Batty, Aguiar, Felix.
YORK CITY 2nd HALF: Watson, O’Connor, McLaughlin (83′ Gibson-Booth), Akinyemi, Gravata, John-Lewis (C) (83′ Marshall), Armstrong, Trialist A, Billy Chadwick, Trialist B, Trialist C.
SHEFFIELD UNITED 1st HALF: Davies, Ahmedhodzic, Robinson (C), Traore, Souza, Curtis, Marsh, Brooks, One, Buyabu, Peck.
SHEFFIELD UNITED 2nd HALF: Grbic, Nogle, Arblaster (C), Trusty, Brewster, Shackleton, Ben Slimane, Osula, Sasnauskas, Hampson, Freckleton.
UNUSED SUBS: Faxon, Boyes, Sachdev, Seriki, Blackett.
MAN OF THE MATCH, CHOSEN BY YORK INSPIRATIONAL KIDS: Joe Felix
ATTENDANCE: 4,755 (2,193 Sheffield United supporters)