A RAMPANT York City could have reached double figures against last season's Northern Counties East League champions Sheffield FC but still enjoyed a 5-0 victory.

Richard Brodie bagged a brace and Stuart Elliott, Onome Sodje and Manny Panther also made the scorsheet as the oldest football club in the world were made to look their age by a vibrant City side.

The first-half resembled shooting practice for the Minstermen albeit a far from impressive session for long periods.

Brodie, Sodje and Alex Meechan were all guilty of glaring misses during the opening 45 minutes but two goals in the closing stages of the half gave the visitors an advantage their performance merited.

Sheffield's centre-backs Tom Jones and Karl Colley both trudged off at the interval with their shirts wringing in sweat after a half of one-way traffic in which they had been run ragged by Sodje and Brodie.

Martyn Woolford, equally as troublesome to the home team, set the tone with a firm first-minute strike that Sheffield goalkeeper Ross Turner parried to safety.

Four minutes later, the first of three blistering raids down the left by Sodje in the early stages led to City's opening goal.

The ex-Charlton trainee left Jones trailing before pulling the ball back from the byline for Brodie to head in from a yard.

Brodie then fired wide and a thumping 25-yard drive by Elliott bounced dangerously off the turf but was dealt with by Turner.

On 18 minutes, Woolford ran 50 yards with the ball before teeing up Brodie for an opportunity that he miscued badly.

The former Newcastle Benfield striker should also have done better when he latched on to a long Darren Craddock pass and rounded 'keeper Turner but then shot straight at covering defender Colley.

Sodje was equally wasteful shortly afterwards, taking a touch to control Brodie's cross before pulling his shot wide from seven yards.

Woolford then struck the base of a post from 15 yards before crossing to the far post for Meechan to drag a five-yard volley across the face of goal.

Moments later, Turner did well to tip over a Woolford free-kick destined for the top corner before City scored a belated second goal on 41 minutes.

A strong diagonal run by Sodje ended with a 15-yard Elliott strike that crashed past Turner.

Two minutes later, Sodje claimed his fourth goal of the pre-season campaign, collecting a long Robinson pass before producing a cool sidefooted finish to beat Turner.

City created fewer chances during the second period but were more ruthless in front of goal.

Brodie forced Turner into an early near-post save and then scored his second of the night on 62 minutes.

Elliott, whose incisive first-time passing was exemplary throughout, found Brodie in the penalty box and the 20-year-old striker sidestepped a challenge before finishing firmly into Turner's bottom right-hand corner.

Substitute Panther then got on the scoresheet three minutes later, beating Turner from six yards after a low cross from Brodie.

TEAM FACTS

Sheffield: Ross Turner, Gavin Smith, Karl Colley, Darryl Winters, Jon Boulter (Ben Sargeant, 73), Chris Dolby, Tom Jones (Craig Marsh, 46), Miles Thorpe (Andy Brownrigg, 46), Darren Holmes (Vill Powell, 84), David Wilkins (Robert Ward, 84), Leon Wainman (Lee Gregory, 66).

York City: Evans (Pentney, 46), Craddock, McGurk (Purkiss, 46), Jones (Wrigley, 81), Robinson (McWilliams, 46), Meechan (Rhodes, 67), Elliott, King (Panther, 46), Woolford (Greenwood, 46), Brodie, Sodje.