12-07-09: York City (a) 3-3 (HT 1-1) Crowd (4,774)

United started off their new season with a Friendly against York City on 12th July 2009 at Kit-Kat Crescent and opted to play a team in either half and alternate three Goalkeepers, which resulted in Shane Higgs playing thirty-eight minutes before Alan Martin came on until he was superceded by Casper Ankergren in the Sixty-fifth minute. In the first half the outfield players were, Jason Crowe, Paul Huntington, Tom Lees and Ben Parker, Robert Snodgrass, Bradley Johnson, Jonathan Howson and Aidan White, Jermaine Beckford and Luciano Becchio. While in the second half they featured Liam Darville, Andy Milne, Lubomir Michalik and Andy Hughes, Mike Whitwell, David Prutton, Fabian Delph, and Andy Robinson, Enoch Showunmi and Tom Elliott. Shane Higgs and Jason Crowe made their first appearances for the club, while it was expected that Fabian Delph was nearing the end of his appearances for United. Enoch Showunmi was back after a seven month lay-off and there were places for youngsters, Alan Martin, Liam Darville, Tom Lees, Andy Milne and Mike Whitwell. While noticable absentees were Richard Naylor, Rui Marques, Alan Sheehan, Neil Kilkenny and Mike Grella, who were all injured. Robert Snodgrass was the first to show the way to goal with a first effort which sailed harmlessly across the face of goal and, after twelve minutes, he tried his luck with a curling shot. He was close again after good work by Jonathan Howson and Jason Crowe, when he shot from outside the box. Jermaine Beckford had the ball in the net after eighteen minutes but was denied by an offside flag, before Jason Crowe tested Michael Ingram, the York keeper. Despite all the early pressure being from United, it was York that took the lead in the twenty-fourth minute when a terrific strike from Andy Smith left Shane Higgs grasping at thin air as the York midfielder found the top corner of the net from distance. Paul Huntington was on hand to make a good block before United should have been on even terms just before the half hour. Robert Snodgrass sent a low cross into the six-yard box but Aidan White failed to capitalise and Ingram was able to gather the ball before Jermaine Beckford could pounce. Six minutes later Aidan White was again the guilty party, when Beckford had played him in, but he shot straight at the keeper. Luciano Becchio did not make the same mistake and after thirty-nine minutes he tucked the ball past the keeper to equalise. After the interval it was Leeds who settled the quickest and Mike Whitwell crashed the ball into the net with his first touch after a good cross from Enoch Showumni, after fifty minutes. York relieved the Leeds pressure to fashion a couple of chances of their own, but first one of their trialists shot high over and then Andy Milne was on hand to avert the danger after York made a break after sustained Leeds pressure. Another such raid saw Richard Brodie shoot over the bar. The game was fairly tight for quite a while but in the eightieth minute Tom Elliott sent a shot wide of the mark, then with eight minutes left Andy Milne got his name on the scoresheet, when he stabbed the ball home from an Andy Robinson cross. However, York made a last desperate effort as the minutes ticked by and reduced the arrears when Alex Lawless scored another good goal from distance. Then in one final attack one of their trialists, Gomi, bundled the ball home to salvage a 3-3 draw. Peter Quinn, of Coulby Newham, was the referee and there were 2,679 Leeds supporters in the crowd. York, like Leeds used another full team, which included several trialists. Trialist Joe Wilcox was the only first-half playe to start the second half and he gave way to another trialist in Michael Duckworth after sixty-five minutes. York started the second half with; Josh Mimms; Joe Wilcox, French Trialist Djoumin Sangare and another trialist "Mlaver" and James Meredith; Neil Barrett, Alex Lawless, Simon Russell and Trialist Gomi; Michael Emmerson and Richard Brodie. Defender Dean Lisles was an unused substitute.

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