Date

Opponents

Competition

Venue

Result

Scorers (and notes)

1. FC HALIFAX (H) (28/Aug/24) (National League Youth Alliance League (North)) W 4-1
   Goals from debutants Day and Douglas gave City a 2-0 half time lead and second half goals from Farrar and Marshall saw City victorious.
   Goals from Donny Day and Harry Douglas, plus Bill Marshall and Ben Farrar, equally either side of the break, secured an excellent matchday one victory for the Young Minstermen. Tim Ryan handed Harry Douglas, Donny Day, and Oz Shaw their first league starts for the U19s, with familiar faces making up the remainder of the starting eleven. The visitors almost made a fast start with a counter attack down the right hand side, inside two minutes, but the number three could only force a corner with his deflected shot from just outside the area. City soon had their first chance after Ben Tate slid a dangerous ball into the path of Ben Farrar, who could not find a connection to prevent the Town defender from clearing off the line. York continued to look for an early breakthrough, but Tate's tame cross was easily held by the Town stopper. Shortly after the 15 minute mark, Halifax were gifted with the best chance of the match so far, the keeper picked out a forward man with an excellent long ball to put the number ten through on goal, who took one touch then failed to find the target with a prod wide of Harry Carr’s left stick. From the succeeding goal kick, the Minstermen played a carbon copy of the previous move, with Carr finding Alex Glynn in behind the opposition defence, however, Glynn was only able to poke the ball straight into the chest of the oncoming goalkeeper who cleared. Harry Douglas was close to notching his first goal for the U19s after receiving a simple pass inside the penalty box from Donny Day, the debutant set himself then drove one from close range which was superbly denied by a strong hand from Town’s number one. The first goal came twenty minutes in, captain Bill Marshall played a perfectly timed ball through to Day in the area, who coolly put the Minstermen ahead with a first time right footed finish past the keeper. It was no more than eight minutes before the lead was doubled from a well-worked corner. Marshall claimed another assist, playing a smart downward header to Douglas on the edge of the box who took the chance first time, sweetly striking the ball into the top right corner. Halifax looked to battle back into the game, but the best they could do before the break was a shot off the post which would not have counted anyway due to offside in the buildup, and a curling shot from distance which was an easy take for Carr. It was probably City who came closest to grabbing a third in the final minutes of the first half, Marshall and Day both saw their efforts fly wide.
   A third did come for the Young Minstermen, five minutes after returning from the interval. Marshall's was yet again targeted from Leon Gibson-Booth's corner, and it was a simple glance into the back of the net that put Ryan's side virtually out of sight. By 57 minutes, it was 4-0, Ben Farrar was on the scoresheet this time, latching onto a Douglas through ball, and tucking between the keeper's legs to complete the scoring for York. It was essentially game over, but Halifax weren't giving up, a good attacking move saw a blue man receive the ball 10 yards out with his back to goal, and his eventual scuffed effort on the turn was a simple claim for the shot stopper. The next opportunity was a more testing one, winning the ball back, Town's captain unleashed a goalbound rocket from distance, which was well parried behind for a corner. In the 69^th minute, a clean sheet for Carr was written off. The Shaymen's number eight whipped a free kick around the wall and through the legs of the goalkeeper. That final goal would turn out to be just a consolation, with neither team able to add to their tally for the day, resulting in opening day delight for the Minstermen.
   CITY: Carr, Tate, Grumley, Gibson-Booth (59’ Shirley), Crooks, Marshall ( c ) (59’ Newall), Douglas, Glynn (70’ Mortimer), Shaw (70’ Nganga), Day, Farrar (62’ Hope). Subs (Unused): -.