YORK 1 CITY 0

TWO games into pre-season and the age-old debate is raging once more.

How much should you read into friendlies?

Stroll to victory by five or six – or 22 in Everton’s case – and they are meaningless.

But how should you view back-to-back defeats to opponents three levels below?

The heavily-populated comments section on the internet suggested a serious level of concern even at this early stage.

Is the new “project” about to go pop already? Or are the worriers making a mountain from a molehill after a team who were way down on full strength were beaten by the odd goal?

A glance at the main stand at Bootham Crescent would have identified a row of first-team figures spared any involvement. Headed by Charlie Wyke, rapidly becoming the subject that dominates every Valley Parade-related debate.

News that Sunderland had launched a bid – a pretty low one by all accounts – provided an uncertain backdrop to this tepid encounter.

York defender Hamza Bencherif may remember the game longer than most after scoring his first goal for the club. It was something he has not yet managed in 65 league appearances.

But for the rest, it was a featureless, lethargic afternoon.

Head coach Michael Collins hinted afterwards that the gloves could be coming off now. With so many of the established names missing, the replacements had hardly grabbed their chance to impress.

“In football, it’s a real cliché but you might only get one opportunity to show you’re worthy of that shirt,” he said.

“I’m not a fan of saying this, that and the other about players. We’ll have individual chats as we normally do.

“But you want to see a real hunger and desire in the squad. If that shirt’s available, somebody needs to come in and snatch it.

“I’ve learned far more in these two weeks than if it had been a bed of roses and we’d stuck six past both teams.”

Just as at Guiseley, he had utilised 22 players although most of the starting line-up upped their pitch time from 45 minutes to two-thirds of the game.

With no Wyke, Alex Jones or Shay McCartan, City started out in a 4-3-3 devoid of an out-and-out striker. Jordan Gibson cut a forlorn figure down the middle, flanked by Sherwin Seedorf and a trialist – believed to be winger Aaron Nemane, who finished last season playing in Dutch football.

It was Seedorf, the natural Dutchman, who provided what little excitement there was from the light blues, as City gave the new change kit an airing.

Collins reckons the Wolves flyer is the type to get fans off their seats with his pace and directness and there were encouraging flashes. The best came just before half-time with a rasping shot that was superbly dealt with by York keeper Adam Bartlett.

It was effectively City’s only shot on target – in the second half they hardly created anything at all. Omari Patrick’s free-kick straight into the wall highlighted the lack of cutting edge once Seedorf’s day was done.

York were not as in your face as Guiseley, who they will face in the same division this season, but looked a tidy team.

Not that they put City under any real pressure until just before half-time when Richard O’Donnell had to alertly tip over after Jordan Burrow’s header flicked off Anthony O’Connor towards the top corner.

York threw on their biggest gun on the hour as mighty Jon Parkin entered the fray. It’s fair to say that Thomas Isherwood is unlikely to have encountered anyone in his bracket during his time with Bayern Munich’s under-21 team.

And the Minstermen broke the dour deadlock within a minute of Parkin’s arrival. His presence in the goal mouth may have been a factor as a corner from Josh Law, Nicky’s brother, hit two players and dropped invitingly at Bencherif’s feet.

Trialist goalkeeper Theo Richardson had little chance as the centre half drilled home from 10 yards.

Collins rung most of his changes soon after but City struggled to put together anything meaningful in response.

Expect a stronger side against much stronger opponents when Sheffield United test out the revamped Valley Parade pitch on Tuesday night.

Whatever your stance on pre-season scorelines, Saturday’s unconvincing showing will not have had many of the absentees fretting unduly about their position.

YORK: Bartlett (Whitley 61), Griffiths (Law 46), Ferguson, Bencherif, Newton, Penn, York (Steels 74), Heslop, Burrow (Parkin 60), Wright (Langstaff 60, Thompson 81), Moke (Kempster 46). Sub (not used): Shepherd.

CITY: O’Donnell (Richardson 46), Devine (Staunton 80), O’Connor (Isherwood 67), Kilgallon (Knight-Percival 54), Chicksen (Wood 67), Wright (Peters 67), Akpan (Gunner 62), Trialist (Powell 67), Hudson (Colville 57), Gibson (Patrick 54), Seedorf (Bruenker 62). Sub (not used): Hefele.