YORK City reserves signed off their Avon Insurance League division one east campaign at Bootham Crescent with a 3-0 defeat to Mansfield Town.

All the Stags' goals came in an action-packed first half as a young City side paid the price for some poor defending and finishing.

The visitors took the lead as Craig Mitchell crashed a shot against the bar for Mark Carter to tap in the rebound.

Adam Arthur missed a golden opportunity to head City level before Mansfield doubled their advantage on 35 minutes when Andy White seized on an error from goalkeeper David Stockdale to lift the ball into an empty net.

Stuart Wise was unfortunate to see a goal-bound header cleared off the line but two minutes before the break Mansfield broke quickly and as City were slow to clear the danger White out-muscled the home defence to grab his second and make it 3-0 to the visitors.

With substitutes Leigh Wood and Graeme Law drafted into the defence for the second half, City were much tighter in the second period, with Wise going closest to pegging a goal back when he latched on to Stephen Brackstone's free-kick but fired over from eight yards.

Mansfield hit the woodwork for a fourth time when Chris Beardsley thumped a diving header against the post but City's misery was complete when Wise was sent off ten minutes from the end for a second bookable offence.

City gave a reserve team debut to 16-year-old Nathan Kamara, son of former City defender Alan, and the youngster, who will start his three-year scholarship with the Minstermen next season, showed some promising touches.

City reserves will be in action again tomorrow in their penultimate Avon Insurance League match of the season at Scarborough before completing their fixtures at Darlington on April 30.

Updated: 11:25 Tuesday, April 08, 2003