YORK City’s new young professionals showed “plenty to work with” against Whitby Town, says assistant manager Micky Cummins.

Youth team graduates Jonny Haase, Jack Degruchy and Luke Jones - who all signed their first pro contracts with City at the end of last month - got 45 minutes each on Saturday in York’s 2-1 win on the Yorkshire coast.

Left-back Haase and attacking midfielder Degruchy put themselves about well in the first half while striker Jones featured in a more threatening second half for York.

Haase showed intelligence at the back, for example guiding Whitby’s Coleby Shepherd away from goal after the midfielder was played through, while the busy Degruchy was the first York player to get in behind the Seasiders’ defence.

Highly-rated from their time in Tim Ryan’s youth side, the youngsters are still raw talents but they hold plenty of promise.

“Everything seemed to be 100 miles an hour with them at times. They just got a bit excitable,” commented Cummins of the first-half pair.

“They just need to find a bit of composure and find themselves a bit of time.

“That will come with training and playing with us all the time.

“But they acquitted themselves really well, they had a go.

“The first thing is you want them to be brave and get on the ball, which they did.

“There’s plenty to work with with them.”

At the other end of the experience spectrum is returning striker Clayton Donaldson, who has re-signed with City after 14 years away.

He made it a happy homecoming by netting the winner at the weekend, receiving the ball in plenty of space in the area before sending Town keeper Shane Bland the wrong way and burying his effort from close range.

Not only is the 37-year-old still a potent force on the pitch, he is a valuable voice on the sidelines, Cummins explained.

“The evergreen Clayton,” he smiled.

“It’s the little things - when you listen to him on the side of the pitch, the information he’s giving the players around them, even the mature ones, the full-backs, say he’s trying to help them.

“It’s just nice to hear.

“The tactical information he’s giving to the young boys is what we’re about as well, how we’re trying to get him behind with shooting and scoring opportunities.

“He got in a good position himself and took his goal well.

“Jack Degruchy on the bench said, ‘Classic Clayton’.

“We’ve brought him in to score goals and it’s nice for him to get off the mark.”