YORK CITY 0
BARNSLEY 1 (Gray 37)

BARNSLEY were given a good workout by York City in the opening 45 minutes but snatched the lead late in the first half with a goal of real quality from Andy Gray.

After a summer of despair and despondency watching England limp out of the World Cup with a whimper, it's great to have real football back at a muggy and overcast Bootham Crescent as Mark Robins' new look side lined up against York City in their opening pre-season encounter. There was a great following from the Oakwell faithful in the shadow of York Minster and the Barnsley supporters were given an early look at new boys Jay McEveley, Jason Shackell, Jim O'Brien and Goran Lovre with fellow summer recruit Liam Dickinson on the bench.

York's starting eleven included three anonymous trialists, which would make for a commentators nightmare for the Barnsley Player team, sat in the press box at Bootham Crescent.

The Reds were on the front foot from the opening exchanges and Martin Devaney's third minute corner should have provided the first goal as his low cross fizzed through the York City penalty area but bounced away to safety.

Devaney then gave York's trialist keeper a worrying moment on 13 minutes as he cut in from the left onto Lovre's pass and beat his man but sent a right-footed drive high over the top. City were determined to impress and put their mark on Stephen Foster midway through the first half with a thundering collision that left the defender bleeding heavily from a gash to the eyelid. Foster needed treatment - and probably a stitch or two.

With a man advantage, York finally threatened Luke Steele's goal as Michael Rankine cut past emergency defender Nathan Doyle before drilling one wide of the mark on 22 minutes. The Minstermen almost made the numbers count again seconds later as George Purcell skipped in from the left before bringing a very smart diving save from Steele.

Iain Hume waved in vain for a penalty on 27 minutes as he hit the deck over James Meredith's outstretched leg in the area. Referee Mark Haywood gave nothing. Steele had to be alert again on the half hour to grab Purcell's shot at the second attempt.

If anything the Reds were a little too keen to impress in their first pre-season outing of the summer and some of their play was a little rushed and careless at times.

Barnsley grabbed the opening goal on 37 minutes with a strike of real quality from Gray as the hitman turned brilliantly onto Foster's ball 16 yards out and planted an unstoppable drive right into the top corner.

Purcell's neatly worked but ultimately wasted free signalled that York were still in the game but his wild drive from 25 yards flew well over the top. Steele was again called to make a decent save in stoppage time as he clawed away Rankine's header from Jonathan Smith's corner.

YORK CITY: Trialist A, Meredith, Smith, Parslow, Lawless, Purcell, Carruthers (Trialist E), Sangare, Rankine, Trialist B, Trialist C.
Subs: Gash, Barrett, Brodie, Mackin, Lisles, McWilliams, Hopcutt, Andrew, Richardson, Trialist D.

BARNSLEY: Steele, Hassell, McEveley, Shackell, Doyle, Foster, Hume, O'Brien, Lovre, Devaney, Gray.
Subs: Preece, Hammill, Dickinson, Adam, Butterfield, Potter, Noble-Lazarus, Branson, Fearnehough, Taylor, Bennett, Boulding.

Referee: Mark Haywood
Assistant Referee: Ricky Wootton
Assistant Referee: Duncan Street
Fourth Official: Chris Woodall