FIRST-HALF goals by strikers Jon Parkin and Macaulay Langstaff saw York City kick off their pre-season programme with a 2-1 win at Shildon.

Danny Earl had earlier given the Northern League first division hosts an early lead in their second warm-up match after a 2-2 draw with Sunderland under-23s on Wednesday.

Following a fast start to the match, Shildon forged in front in spectacular fashion on 11 minutes when Earl was give the space to receive Matty Robson’s throw from the left before turning and sending a dipping, 25-yard half-volley over Adam Bartlett.

The visitors’ response saw Clovis Kamdjo head wide from a Vinnie Steels cross, while Adriano Moke lofted a 20-yard attempt out of the ground.

City went on to survive a scare when Robson’s curling free kick flicked off the head of Russ Penn and bounced back into play off Bartlett’s right-hand post before Parkin levelled on 24 minutes.

Left-winger Vinnie Steels raided positively down the left and sent in a cross that saw Parkin guide an eight-yard header beyond home keeper Shaun Newbrook.

At the other end, Robson’s curling free kick flashed past Bartlett’s top right-hand corner and, after Wes York was denied a clear penalty when hacked down by Jack Turnbull, Marc Ellison should have done better than blast wide for Shildon when played clear through the right channel.

As the half wore on, Shildon struggled to maintain their early tempo and, after Parkin’s downward header from a long Hamza Bencherif ball was safely gathered by Newbrook, the hosts’ net-minder was beaten for a second time on 41 minutes.

York’s low cross from the right ricocheted off a defender and fell kindly for Langstaff, who steered a seven-yard, sidefooted effort past Newbrook.

On the stroke of half-time, Langstaff also headed straight at Newbrook from a David Ferguson centre.

Only Steels and Penn stayed on for the restart with City chief Martin Gray ringing the changes, although Tom Allan limped out of the action just five minutes in with Kamdjo returning to the action.

By then, Jamie Harwood had seen a header saved by Ryan Whitley, while Jordan Burrow’s curling edge-of-the-box effort called Newbrook into action.

After Allan’s departure, Sean Newton’s shot bounced wide from 20 yards, but Billy Greulich-Smith narrowly cleared the crossbar from ten yards and Kamdjo escaped a red card when he brought Earl down just outside the box after Penn’s stray header had sent the home striker clear.

Robson drilled the resulting free kick into the wall but whistled a second chance just over from a similar distance shortly afterwards.

At the other end, Newton’s deflected free kick was comfortably gathered, before a corner from City’s left back saw Burrow’s header pushed on to the crossbar.

Jake Wright also had a late chance saved and Whtiley was equal to a near-post Brad Hird drive, before everyone was free to switch their attentions to England’s big World Cup quarter-final against Sweden.

City: Bartlett (Whitley, 46), Law (Thompson, 46), Kamdjo (Parslow, 46), Bencherif (Allan, 46, Kamdjo 50), Ferguson (Newton, 46), York (Kempster, 46), Moke (Heslop, 46), Penn (Shepherd, 61), Steels (Trialist, 61), Parkin (Burrow, 46), Langstaff (Wright, 46).