The York City faithful who made the trip to Wetherby Road last night witnessed something they haven't seen in a while - a centre-forward who likes to get into the box.

Sharp, quick off the mark and with an eye for goal, City's new striker, Peter Duffield, showed just why boss Terry Dolan was keen to snap him up from Darlington this summer. He scored.

Duffield pounced in the six-yard area to turn in Christian Fox's superb run and cross from the left, to give City a satisfactory 2-1 victory.

Perhaps more importantly, it gave the striker a debut goal and the confidence boost that goes with it.

Granted, the goal had as much to do with Fox's creativity as Duffield's shooting, but it was that predatory instinct - something City lacked all last season - that turned the chance into a winner.

It was not a vintage show from City but, as a content Dolan later admitted, it was a useful work-out to get the players match fit.

The manager was also happy with the displays of his other two summer signings, Gary Hobson and Graham Potter.

Hobson looked assured alongside Peter Swan and Barry Jones in central defence, and created the first chance of the match when sending Duffield away down the left, only for his eventual shot to be easily held by Paul Allen.

Meanwhile, Potter looks a natural left wing-back, and it was he who set up City's opener on 28 minutes, breaking down the left and firing in a cross which Steve Agnew touched goalwards.

Whether it was on target is debatable, but it went in thanks to deflections off defender Chris Hudson and 'keeper Allen's shins. Hudson was accredited with the goal.

Harrogate's equaliser was borne of brilliance rather than fortuity.

Striker Pav Singh picked up the ball down the right channel, shimmied inside, created space past a couple of defenders, and rifled the ball left-footed into the bottom right corner.

That goal came two minutes before the break, and after Duffield had regained City's advantage soon after the interval, it appeared more goals were in the offing.

However, a plethora of second-half substitutes did not help the fluidity, and further chances were at a premium at both ends.

A late flurry, though, saw City trialist Phil Hadland lucky to see referee Stuart Lloyd penalise Town's Mark Burnham rather than give a penalty the other way, after being caught dallying in his own box just a minute after joining the fray.

Then fellow trialist David McNiven, who had just seen one shot saved, almost latched onto a high ball, beating substitute 'keeper Mike Williams to the ball but seeing Dave Merris clear.

In the final minute, a spinning Duffield was denied superbly by Williams, while at the other end former Minsterman Iain Dunn called City's number one, Alan Fettis, into action.

That save prevented an equaliser, yet Harrogate's club stalwart, Alan Smith, the beneficiary of this testimonial match, would still have been justifiably proud of Dave Fell's team.

They can rightly go into their UniBond League season with confidence of gaining promotion to the premier division.

With seven new players having arrived over the summer, the signing of centre-back Gary Shaw, especially, seems like a masterstroke.

Confident, good on the ball and strong, it seems odd that the former Eccleshill defender has not made the step up from the Northern Counties East League sooner.

Although his fitness might not yet be up to UniBond League scratch, he followed up his impressive 45 minutes against Barnsley in midweek with a commanding hour last night before withdrawing with a slight thigh strain.

City match facts

Alan Smith Testimonial

Harrogate Town 1, York City 2

Harrogate Town: Paul Allen (Mike Williams 45), Dean Wilson (Peter Atkinson 57), Dave Merris, Gary Shaw (Scott Bairstow 61), Chris Hudson, Andy Toman, Ian Williams (Lee Poole 62), Lee Beeton, Craig Roden (Iain Dunn 55), Pav Singh (Jamie Featherstone 59), Eamon Elliott (Mark Burnham 72).

Subs, not used: Lee Murphy, Bryan Brookes, Danny Spence

Booked: None; Sent off: None

Goals: Singh 43

York City: Alan Fettis, Darren Edmondson (Phil Hadland 77), Graham Potter, Barry Jones, Peter Swan, Gary Hobson, Kevin Hulme, Steve Agnew (David McNiven 77), Mark Sertori (Barry Conlon 50), Peter Duffield, Christian Fox

Subs, not used: Wayne Hall, Russell Howarth, Matt Hocking,

Booked: None, Sent off: None.

Goals: Hudson og 28, Duffield 50

Referee: Stuart Lloyd (Harrogate) Att: 325