YORK City boss Gary Mills wants his side to relish the pressure and expectation they will face when the new season kicks off next Saturday.

The Minstermen completed their ‘official’ pre-season preparations with a narrow 2-1 defeat to Notts County at Bootham Crescent yesterday.

City striker Jon Parkin was on the mark from the penalty spot after the League Two visitors had gone ahead moments before half-time through Liam Walker. Defender Pierce Bird nodded home County’s winner late on.

With only a training ground game against Bradford City Under-23s to come on Tuesday evening, Mills’ men need to be ready for the visit of AFC Telford United for their National League North curtain-raiser.

The manager himself is satisfied that they are fit, willing and able to meet the challenge the Bucks will bring on the opening day of the 2017/18 campaign.

“I think pre-season has gone really well,” he said. “You’re a bit loathe at times to say how it’s going because sometimes you win every pre-season game and play unbelievable football and then it doesn’t work out when the season actually starts.

“So there’s only one thing that’s important going forward and that’s this coming Saturday and the start of the season.

“It’s amazing when three points are at stake, the players change – there’s a bit more pressure on them than in the pre-season games but I think I’ve put a squad together that can handle that.

“Everything that’s going to be thrown at us this year we’ve got to handle, whether it’s the grounds, the crowds, the different teams or whatever. We’ve got to handle that in the right way to be successful.

“There’s pressure on us this season because the expectation that we’re going to get straight back up is there and, believe it or not, I do like expectation.

“It keeps you on your toes, it makes you do your job to the best of your ability every day and that’s got to be no different for the players. I feel I’ve got the experience in the squad to do that.”

Yesterday, Mills made six changes to the side that started against part-timers Oakham United in midweek with Jon Worsnop, Hamza Bencherif, Simon Heslop, Parkin, Louis Almond, and Amari Morgan-Smith replacing Luke Simpson, Connor Smith, Kaine Felix, Michael Rankine, Sam Muggleton and Theo Wharton.

Almond and Morgan-Smith were back after recovering from minor knee injuries. Wharton was absent after suffering an ankle injury but Felix was included on the bench after shaking off a groin problem.

Former Newcastle United striker Shola Ameobi led the County attack alongside Lewis Alessandra who was briefly on loan at City two seasons ago.

After an even start, City created the first opportunity of the game in the 21st minute when Morgan-Smith’s angled drive was pushed around the post by away keeper Ross Fitzsimons, with the attacker's subsequent corner headed wide by Dan Parslow.

York stopper Worsnop then produced two excellent saves to deny County winger Jorge Grant as the visitors looked to step up the pace.

City proved more than a match for their higher level opponents but conceded a goal in first half stoppage time when midfielder Walker picked up a loose ball on the edge of the area and unleashed a low shot which cannoned in off the post.

Centre back Bencherif was replaced by Alex Whittle at half-time due to a shoulder strain, resulting in a reshuffle as Whittle slotted in at left wing-back while Jassem Sukar moved into the back three.

City might have equalised five minutes into the second half when Parkin intercepted a loose clearance by the County goalkeeper, but his first time effort was headed clear by defender Hollis.

The hosts were lucky to survive at the opposite end soon after when both Hollis and Bird struck the crossbar following a corner.

Almond fired a warning shot to County when his curling shot deflected off a defender’s head and narrowly flew over but as the game entered the final 20 minutes, City were forced to weather a spell of intense pressure.

However, they got back on level terms from the penalty spot with just seven minutes to play.

Referee Richard Clark ruled that City substitute Rankine had been bundled over by the Fitzsimons, and Parkin made no mistake from the spot.

The forward nearly put City ahead when his clever flick was clawed off the line by Fitzsimons in the 88th minute.

But the Magpies settled the contest when the aptly-named Bird headed in from a corner in stoppage time.

City: Worsnop, Law, Bencherif (Whittle 45), Parslow, Moke, Newton, Heslop (Smith 69), Parkin, Morgan-Smith (Muggleton 65), Almond (Felix 74), Sukar (Rankine 65).

Notts County: Fitzsimons; Hunt (Dearle 80), Dickinson, Walker, Bird, Hollis, Grant, Lecygne, Ameobi (Saunders 62), Alessandra, Hawkridge.

Attendance: 1,019