YORK City were on the receiving end of a clinical show of finishing as they lost 8-0 at home to Blackburn Rovers in their third public pre-season friendly.

The Lancashire outfit were relegated from the Championship last term, but still showed plenty of second-tier pedigree with Paul Daddis (2), Ben Gladwin (2), Bradley Dack, Corry Evans, Danny Graham and Elliott Bennett all on the scoresheet.

As a consequence, City were chasing shadows for long periods in a contest that certainly served as a fitness-gaining exercise.

The Minstermen had almost opened the scoring, however, in the first minute when an alert Louis Almond latched on to Jon Parkin's downward header following Sean Newton's free kick, but could not direct his ten-yard effort under the crossbar.

Home chances would be scarce, though, for the rest of the half against Tony Mowbray's confident side and, after Liam Feeney had seen a chance cleared off the line by a covering Hamza Bencherif, Dack nudged the former Premier League champions in front on 12 minutes.

A right-wing cross from Evans flicked off the head of Newton and landed to £750,000 summer signing Dack, who fired in off Jon Worsnop's left-hand post from ten yards.

Within five minutes, the Ewood Park outfit had doubled their advantage when Evans, who has 34 Northern Ireland caps to his name, tried his luck from 20 yards and his deflected drive beat Worsnop following a deflection off Newton.

Blackburn went on to add a third goal in the space of just a quarter-of-an-hour as the ball feel to Gladwin after Bencherif's sliding tackle and he drilled a low shot into Worsnop's bottom-left corner from 25 yards.

Shortly afterwards, Dack fired wide of the near post after charging through the right channel, while Evans scooped over after good play by right-wing back Caddis and Gladwin dragged a deflected attempt off target from the edge of the box.

A rare City foray forward saw Parkin head wide from a long throw by Newton, but Rovers went into the break with a fourth goal after Jack Doyle was allowed to raid down the left and deliver a cross that was met at the back post by Caddis with Gladwin going on to beat Worsnop with a first-time finish from six yards.

Blackburn retained the same starting XI for the opening 15 minutes of the second period and continued to turn the screw.

Worsnop was called into early action by Feeney from 20 yards and Dack dragged across the face of goal after tricking his way past City half-time sub Jassem Sukar.

It was 5-0 on 53 minutes, though, when Evans played Doyle in through the left channel and his low cross was tapped in at the far post by Caddis.

City might have reduced the deficit moments later when Almond played Simon Heslop clear, but Jason Steele rushed out of his goal to smother well and Dack went on to fire wide before teeing up Caddis with a clever back heel that saw the latter make it 6-0 by bending a left-footed shot beyond Worsnop just before the hour.

Derrick Williams also headed wide for the visitors, before sub Joe Nuttall twice went close in the air, forcing transfer-listed City keeper Luke Simpson into a near-post save and then striking the outside of a post.

It was Graham that made it seven, though, on 74 minutes, expertly heading into the roof of the net at the far post following Bennett''s right-wing cross.

At the other end, the hosts' top performer Almond curled wide from 15 yards, but a long-range pot-shot by Bennett beat Simpson for pace as it rocketed into the roof of the home net.

A 12-yard Michael Rankine shot, that was comfortably gathered by Rovers sub keeper David Raya, was then greeted by ironic cheers from City supporters and Simpson prevented a ninth after tipping over a Charlie Mulgrew free kick shortly before the final whistle.

City: Worsnop (Simpson, 59); Parslow, Bencherif, Newton (Smith, 59); Law (Sukar, 46), Moke (Heslop, 46), Wharton, Whittle (Muggleton, 46); Almond, Parkin (Felix, 59), Morgan-Smith (Rankine, 46).

Attendance: 1,307 (276 from Blackburn)