YORK CITY 2 (Farrell 75, 85)
BARNSLEY 2 (Macken 23, 89)
JON Macken netted a brace as the Reds left it late to scrape a draw against York City.
Reds boss Simon Davey again named trialists in his squad as he looked for a pre-season boost at York City with a German striker starting the game and an American midfielder on the bench.
The Reds were almost embarrassed with just two minutes on the clock as Onome Sodje caused panic between Kyle Letheren and Rob Kozluk and the striker watched as the ball deflected back and past an open goal. Darren Kelly was next to try his luck from distance on six minutes as the hosts started brightly but his well-struck effort flew wide of the target.
Barnsley finally showed their Championship class on 23 minutes when Jacob Butterfield's exquisite pass sent Mounir El Haimour away down the left. The Frenchman's first-time cross left the York City defence in tatters and Jon Macken was on hand to tap in from close range.
Diego Leon then found a yard of space in the middle of the park to get a shot away on 28 minutes but his volley flew high over the top of Michael Ingham's goal.
Barnsley were almost caught out on 31 minutes when midfielder Michael Greaves drifted in from the right hand side and was given time and space to take aim but his effort fizzed wide of Letheren's upright. Sodje then did well to find Martyn Woolford in the area two minutes later but the winger fired high over from 16 yards.
Brian Howard burst into life on 39 minutes when he timed a burst into the area to perfection to meet Macken's cross and beat Ingram with his header but the ball dropped just over the top of the bar. El Haimour was an inch away from a fine second goal a minute before the break as he cut in from the right flank before planted a shot past Ingham but could only hold his head in his hands as the ball cannoned away off the upright.
El Hamiour was in the thick of the action again just two minutes after the restart when his pass sent Kayode Odejayi clean through on Ingham but the big Nigerian fired straight at the keeper when he should have hit the back the net.
York's first big chance came on 54 minutes when Ben Purkiss caused no end of problems in the Reds area with a low cross from the right. The ball eventually fell to Woolford but the winger lashed his shot high over from 12 yards. Letheren was forced into his first meaningful save on 57 minutes when the young Welshman did well to hold Sodje's shot.
At the other end Ingham was tested on 67 minutes when he had to get down to hold Leon's effort before York had the ball in the back of the net five minutes later although Ben Wilkinson's strike was ruled out for offside.
City got their goal on 75 minutes after an absolute calamity between Stephen Foster and Letheren allowed Craig Farrell to race through and knock the ball into an empty net.
York should been in front on 78 minutes when Sodje's cross found Farrell again with time and space in the area but the striker lashed his shot high over with only Letheren to beat.
There was nothing lucky about Farrell's second goal on 85 minutes that almost wrapped up the win for York. The striker took on a hopeful punt forward on the edge of the area before facing up Rob Atkinson and lashing an unstoppable drive into the roof of the net from 18 yards out.
Odejayi really should have brought the Reds level inside three minutes when he pounced from close range after sub Josh Mimms had parried Simon Heslop's shot but the York keeper did well to get down and block his shot. Mimms luck ran out though from Howard's corner as Macken managed to prod home from six yards out following a scramble.
YORK CITY: Ingham (Mimms 68), Purkiss, Kelly, Parslow (McGurk 59), Sodje (Boyes 80), Greaves, Farrell, Woolford, Rusk (Shepherd 72), Henderson (Wilkinson 61), McWilliams (Robinson 73).
BARNSLEY: Letheren, Hassell, Kozluk, Moore (Atkinson 74), Foster, Howard, El Haimour, Leon (Hesop 78), Butterfield (Odejayi 45), Macken, Smith.
Subs: Togwell, Hunt, Johnson.
Barnsley Football Club would like to apologise for the lateness of this report. This was caused by a lack of facilities at York City FC.
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