YORK City have a first home victory of pre-season after defeating Sky Bet League Two outfit Grimsby Town 2-1.

A return to the LNER Community Stadium saw Adam Hinshelwood’s side overcome their higher league opposition, who were also reduced to zero shots on target throughout the contest.

Billy Chadwick opened the scoring in the first two minutes when meeting Dipo Akinyemi’s flick on in the box, before volleying home from close-range.

A freak own goal by Ricky Aguilar tied the scoreline, when his back pass provided too much power for Rory Watson to keep out.

Substitute Lenell John-Lewis bagged a 75th minute winner against his former employers, directing his header home from an Alex Hunt corner.

Hinshelwood lined City up in a 4-3-3 formation which included a first start for a new trialist with the club, positioned at left-back.

Akinyemi led the line, partnered by Billy Chadwick and Tyrese Sinclair on either wing, with a midfield three of Dan Batty, Marvin Armstrong and Aguiar.

A start for Watson between the sticks also saw the return of George Sykes-Kenworthy, who was not a part of the squad list, but did perform in pre-match preparations.

Trialist B, now identified as former Wigan Athletic and Fleetwood Town winger Max McMillan, started amongst the subs, with Adam Crookes a notable absentee on the day.

Grimsby themselves also set-up in a 4-3-3 formation, which included a start for former York midfielder Kieran Green, who made 34 appearances for the Minstermen in the 2019/20 season.

York-born defender Harvey Rodgers was also within the visiting squad, but started on the bench.

It was the perfect start for York as a long ball from Ryan Fallowfield caused problems for the Grimsby backline, who conceded a corner after pressure from Akinyemi.

From the resulting corner, a City deliver was flicked on by Akinyemi in the area, with Chadwick perfectly-positioned to volley home from close-range.

The Minstermen maintained their strong start, with Chadwick’s flick-on towards Akinyemi intercepted, before Joe Felix’s low cross was cut out by goalkeeper Jordan Wright, with Marvin Armstrong lurking.

Cameron McJannett produced a vital touch to keep Armstrong, featuring in a more advanced position, from breaking through one-on-one.

York were within inches of a second as Felix latched onto Dan Batty’s switch of play, with the former then seeing his low cross skid across the face of goal, with no City player able to add any connection.

Relentless pressing from Akinyemi allowed the striker to feed Armstrong into a dangerous position, but his sliced strike swayed wide of the target.

With just shy of half an hour played in North Yorkshire, Grimsby found themselves level, despite not registering a shot on goal.

Some patient passing in the City final third saw Aguiar’s pass back towards Watson catch the shot-stopper off-guard, who couldn’t prevent the ball from nestling into the bottom right corner, drawing the Mariners level.

York almost immediately responded with Felix producing a cross from the byline that forced Wright into dropping the ball, with Grimsby then clearing the loose ball from off of the line.

Just one minute later there was more frustration for the Minstermen, as a teasing cross from Sinclair fizzed across goal, with a lurking Armstrong unable to connect at the back post.

Both sides had seen the tempo of the match drop off leading up to the break, and it seemed to be the case early into the second-half too, with both teams struggling to create anything meaningful early on.

Grimsby substitute Cameron Gardner met a pass on the edge of the area before bending a strike narrowly wide whilst on the turn.

Sinclair looked to add some flair into the contest when a mazy run saw the winger beat multiple Grimsby defenders, before letting off a tame effort whilst off-balance, that was comfortably held by Wright.

A short corner from Aguiar to Chadwick saw York capitalise on a lack of focus from Grimsby, with the goalscorer breaking into the area and fizzing a low cross towards the six-yard box, that was glanced clear by Lewis Cass.

Both sides made widescale changes with 62 minutes played, which included a nice reception for John-Lewis, returning to play against a former club of his.

And it would be an afternoon to remember for ‘the Shop’, who would soon find his name on the scoresheet.

Another corner routine saw Alex Hunt lift a teasing cross into the area, with John-Lewis racing onto the pass to power a header past Wright, putting the Minstermen back in front.

Hinshelwood had hinted towards the club offering a deal to Trialist B in the near future, known as McMillan, with the substitute impressing after replacing Sinclair.

Some hard-work from the winger saw McMillan dispossess a Grimsby defender in his own area, before laying the ball back to John-Lewis, whose well-struck strike was blocked by a crowd of bodies from the visitors.

Ollie Pearce had one final opportunity of the second-half when some nice footwork allowed the striker to beat two men in the box, before his low strike was smothered by Eastwood.

A second win in pre-season for Hinshelwood’s side and a third scoreline of 2-1 in pre-season, with the Minstermen continuing their Vanarama National League preparations with a trip to Darlington on Tuesday, July 23 (7.45pm).

YORK CITY: Watson 6 (Male, 60), Felix 8 (Marshall 6, 76), Fallowfield 7, O’Connor 6 (Howe 6, 60), Trialist A 7 (Gibson-Booth 7, 65), Armstrong 7 (Hunt 7, 60), Batty 7 (McLaughlin 6, 60), Aguiar 6 (Nathaniel-George 6, 60), Chadwick 7 (Pearce 6, 60), Akinyemi 7 (John-Lewis 7, 60), Sinclair 7 (Trialist B 7, 72)

Goals: Chadwick (2), John-Lewis (76)

GRIMSBY TOWN: Wright (Eastwood, 60), Cass, McJannett (Rodgers, 60), Trialist A, Carson, McEachran (Wilson, 60), Khouri (Thompson, 60), Green (Brown, 60), Trialist B (Ainley, 60), Trialist C, Svanthorsson (Gardner, 46)

Goals: Aguiar OG (28)

York’s star man: Joe Felix. Another really impressive performance from the right-back who was dominant throughout.

Referee: Gareth Rhodes

Attendance: 2332 (692)

Shots off (on target): 1 (6)| 1 (0)

Corners:  4 | 0

Offsides: 5 | 0

Fouls committed: 9 | 8