YORK City boss Billy McEwan prides himself on producing fit football teams.

Frustrated, at times, last season with the inability to play at a tempo he required, McEwan has since recruited a side that he believes can deliver in that department.

Only Chris Porter and Darren Dunning were on City's books last season from the team that started last night's encouraging 2-1 victory over Sheffield Wednesday and, interestingly, the line-up was filled with players aged between 21 and 26 only.

The team counter-attacked quickly with new striker Clayton Donaldson once more exciting the City crowd with his pace and trickery and midfielders Dunning and Mark Convery also worked hard to support the front men.

McEwan complained about moaning supporters after the previous KitKat Crescent friendly - a 4-0 defeat to Hartlepool - and there was plenty of clapping last night but City fans also had little reason for dissent during a promising display.

The home side took the lead after just 34 seconds when Wednesday goalkeeper Chris Adamson could not cut out Convery's low cross and, following Joe O'Neill's failure to force the ball home from close range, James Dudgeon was on hand to fire the ball in at the far post.

The visitors equalised on 16 minutes when the skilful Richie Partridge shimmied inside Nathan Peat and sent a curling 15-yard, left-footed shot beyond the despairing dive of Porter and into the Minstermen keeper's top right-hand corner.

City regained the lead five minutes after the break when Convery swept the ball out wide to Dunning, whose precise left-wing cross was met by a powerful downward header by Donaldson from six yards.

Substitute Danny Ekoku then twice went close to adding to the score within minutes of his arrival as a substitute as McEwan tested a 4-3-3 formation.

Fellow replacement Andy Bishop, who might face more competition for an attacking starting place on this evidence, also rattled the crossbar in the final minute after Price had pulled the ball back from the by-line.

McEwan said afterwards: "There were a lot of good signs and I was very encouraged with it but I'm not getting carried away as it's early days. We passed it well against good opposition at times. We still have a lot to do fitness wise, but they put the effort in and we will be all right."

YORK CITY: Porter (Afandiyev, HT), Price, Dudgeon (McGurk, HT), Hotte, Peat (Merris, 82), Mallon (Ekoku, 54), Panther, Convery, Dunning, Donaldson, O'Neill (Bishop, 76). Subs: Pounder, Winn, Mudd.

SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY: Adamson, Diallo (Broadbent, 90), Heckingbottom, Adams, Lee, Spurr, Partridge, O'Brien, Reet (Boden, 76), McCalilister, Evans. Subs: Kirby, Brackenridge, Danns, Jones, Davies.

Referee: Paul Prosser (Castleford).

Attendance: 1,117.

Updated: 10:45 Tuesday, August 02, 2005