YORK City assistant boss Adie Shaw was full of praise as a young and inexperienced reserve team battled for a 0-0 draw at Notts County yesterday.

With injury and illness affecting the club, only senior professionals James Okoli, Craig Wilding and Alex Mathie were risked in the side, while only 13 players in total made the trip.

This forced City to include six first-year trainees in the side, but they did the club proud to thwart a strong County side.

Shaw said: "It was an absolutely tremendous performance, especially as we only travelled with 13 players and out of the two subsitutes, one was a goalkeeper.

"I've nothing but praise for the lads, they played very well and full credit to them."

Encouragingly for City, the sickness bug that hit them over the weekend now appears to be clearing.

Leading scorer Jon Parkin, who was so badly affected that he lost 6lbs in weight on Saturday, returned to training today

And Parkin will welcome a new striker alongside him, with the protracted loan recruitment of Keith Graydon com pleted.

The Minstermen today finally gained clearance for the 20-year-old striker to join on loan from Premiership strugglers Sunderland.

Dublin-born Graydon is expected to go straight into the City squad for Saturday's clash against Southend United at Bootham Crescent.

Updated: 10:51 Thursday, March 27, 2003