MIDFIELDER Marc Thompson and veteran defender Chris Fairclough are set to miss out on York City's opening two pre-season fixtures.

Thompson has returned to training after picking up a calf strain but a cautious York manager Terry Dolan has ruled the youngster out of tomorrow's North Riding Senior Cup clash with Marske United at Bootham Crescent.

The teenager will also sit out Friday night's match against Harrogate Town at Wetherby Road.

Fairclough will also miss both games as he works his way back to full fitness following knee surgery over the summer.

Dolan will be donning his football boots prior to City's clash with Harrogate on Friday.

The City chief will play in a veteran's match as a curtain raiser for the main match at Wetherby Road.

The veterans' game will kick-off at 6.15pm with the City and Town encounter, a testimonial for Harrogate stalwart and former City player Alan Smith, kicking off at 7.45pm.

Entry will cost £3 for adults and £1 for children, except for those accompanied by an adult when admission will be free. Pensioners will also be admitted free.

Lucky programmes will also be available with a signed York City shirt up for grabs and a raffle offering two free tickets for a York City fixture next season.

Left winger Smith, who celebrates his 50th birthday in September, spent a couple of years at York at the start of the 1970s as an amateur before serving in a variety of roles at Harrogate Town.

Dolan is a former Bradford Park Avenue team-mate of Smith and it was at Harrogate that Dolan first cut his managerial teeth, starting out as player-coach in 1985.

A young Barnsley side beat Harrogate 3-0 in a pre-season friendly at Wetherby Road last night. Carl Barraclough opened the scoring in the sixth minute with goals also coming from Andy Evans 20 minutes later and Allan Pearce five minutes from time.

Harrogate rallied late on but could not break through a Barnsley side containing five players with first team experience.

North East Counties East League division one champions Goole enjoyed a 1-0 win over York City's Third Division rivals Hull City last night.

City's intermediates got their pre-season preparations off to a flier with a 4-1 win over Guiseley Under-19s.

Leading the way was striker Scott Emmerson, who grabbed a hat-trick, while wing-back Chris Gowen scored his first goal in four years to complete the scoring.

The youngsters were 3-0 up at half-time before Guiseley pulled a goal back. Emmerson completed his hat-trick to restore the three goal lead with five minutes to go.