YORK City’s final match of the 2024/25 season ended in a chaotic 3-3 draw with Spennymoor Town.

With just one week remaining until the Vanarama National League campaign begins, York travelled to Vanarama National League North competitors Spennymoor to wrap up their pre-season schedule.

In City’s seventh match of pre-season, Adam Hinshelwood’s side began on the front foot, with Marvin Armstrong meeting Joe Felix’s low cross to slide home at the back post.

Lenell John-Lewis soon doubled the Minstermen’s advantage for his second goal of pre-season, glancing home a header.

Spennymoor halved the deficit with Glen Taylor’s first of the afternoon, hammering home from the penalty spot, before the striker would cancel out York’s two goal lead, sliding a strike past Harrison Male from Isaac Fletcher’s cross.

The first-half goal fest would continue in the second 45, with Billy Chadwick continuing his impressive pre-season after heading home in the 71st minute.

Spennymoor would again make the game level just four minutes later, after Taylor placed home a second penalty kick of the afternoon.

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Hinshelwood lined City up in a 4-3-3 formation, which included a first start for Cameron John after his trial was made into a permanent move.

Adam Crookes came back into the starting eleven after a small knock, with Ashley Nathaniel-George also earning important minutes after struggling with a tight groin earlier in pre-season.

Alex Hunt was supposed to start in the friendly, but the club confirmed that Dan Batty would instead take his place.

Lining up for the hosts’ was York loanee Olly Dyson, alongside experienced faces such as Matty Dolan, Michael Ledger and Taylor.

The first opportunity of the afternoon fell City’s way as Felix earned a corner for the visitors, with Batty’s cross finding Nathaniel-George, whose strike was kept out within a congested area.

John-Lewis was eager to make an impact after receiving possession in the area, but ‘the Shop’ could only scoop an effort over Brad James’ goal.

After 12 minutes, Hinshelwood’s side opened the scoring as Felix maintained his impressive displays down the right-hand side, finding an unmarked Armstrong in the area, who calmly dispatched at the back post.

Marvin Armstrong nets his second goal of pre-season.Marvin Armstrong nets his second goal of pre-season. (Image: Tom Poole)

A dampener was placed on the friendly as an injury to Rory Watson forced the City shot-stopper off with an injury, with Male his replacement.

Tyrese Sinclair stung the gloves of James with a free-kick on the edge of the area, that he had earned himself, before John-Lewis added York’s second of the afternoon.

Some patient possession from the Minstermen allowed Batty to find Nathaniel-George on the right, whose pass down the wing to Felix allowed the full-back to identify John-Lewis in the area, powering his header home.

John-Lewis almost registered a second, but James would produce a sublime stop from his header, before Spennymoor were awarded a first penalty with just over half-an-hour played.

Taylor stepped up for the hosts and arrowed his strike past Male, who managed to get a hand to the effort.

Both sides interchanged attempts with Sinclair first curling an effort into the arms of James, before Ramshaw forced Male to palm a strike around his post.

With one minute remaining before half-time, Spennymoor drew level.

Reece Staunton worked the ball down the left-hand side before finding Fletcher, whose cross to Taylor allowed the striker to register his brace, hitting a strike past Male.

The half-time whistle saw Hinshelwood make numerous changes, with Ryan Fallowfield, Darragh O’Connor, Dipo Akinyemi, Ollie Pearce, Chadwick and Hunt replacing Callum Howe, Nathaniel-George, John-Lewis, Armstrong, Batty and Felix.

Hunt would soon curl a free-kick into a Spennymoor wall, before some exceptional passing around the Spennymoor box allowed Chadwick to square a pass into Pearce, whose flick found Akinyemi, who was unable to hit a shot goalwards.

A Spennymoor counter-attack saw Dolan thwarted by Male, before York took a deserved lead.

Chadwick continued his notably positive pre-season performances when meeting a deep free-kick, with the attacking midfielder glancing his header past James.

But just three minutes later, a controversial penalty was awarded against the Minstermen, with Spennymoor having the opportunity to draw level again.

Up stepped Taylor, who converted from 12-yards out.

Leone Gravata and Paddy McLaughlin came on to replace Sinclair and John, but only Spennymoor could manage to create an opportunity in the remaining 10 minutes, as Ramshaw’s curling strike deflected off of the crossbar in stoppage time.

York’s pre-season preparations are now complete, with two wins, two defeats and three draws.

Harrison Male looks to keep out Glen Taylor, who netted a hat-trick.Harrison Male looks to keep out Glen Taylor, who netted a hat-trick. (Image: Tom Poole)

Hinshelwood’s side will now turn their attention to the long-awaited beginning of the National League season, which gets underway next Saturday, August 10 with a trip to Southend United (3pm).

SPENNYMOOR TOWN: James, Ross, Rowe, Ledger (Beals, 57), Staunton, Dolan (Howard, 82), Dyson (Luck, 79), Fletcher (Trialist, 86), Ramshaw, Taylor (Trialist, 82), Trialist (McKeown, 57)

Subs not used: Johnson, Harris, Myers

Goals: Taylor (33, 44, 74)

YORK CITY: Watson (Male, 16), Felix (Fallowfield, 46), Howe (O’Connor, 46), Crookes, John (McLaughlin, 78), Batty (Hunt, 46), Aguiar, Armstrong, Sinclair (Gravata, 78), John-Lewis (Pearce, 46), Nathaniel-George (Chadwick, 46)

Subs not used: Gibson-Booth, Marshall

Goals: Armstrong (12), John-Lewis (22), Chadwick (71)