YORK City have pleased manager Steve Watson with the way they have started pre-season.

With Sunday's 1-0 win over Newcastle United, the Minstermen have made it two victories from two and got good minutes under their belt.

As a side looking to build on the number of goals they have scored in recent seasons, it also augurs well that City managed to create a few decent chances against Premier League side Newcastle, who did not go easy on the team selection.

“The last two seasons we haven’t scored enough,” Watson, pictured (Ian Parker), admitted. “We’ve created a lot but we haven’t scored enough and we’re looking to improve on that.

“Playing two 45s against Whitby, it was difficult to judge because there were a lot of trialists and young lads in.

“Today, if you’re creating even three or four good chances against a team like this, you’re going well.

“We’ll know as we move on but all I can say is I’m really pleased with the way we’ve started.”

It was a solid, hard-working performance from front to back against Newcastle on a very warm day at the LNER Community Stadium, capped off by a wonderful looping header from Michael Duckworth, who was teed up by fellow full-back Scott Barrow.

Watson moved City to a 4-4-2 for this outing with four right-sided players and four on the left.

City are also looking to have the full-backs push up higher next season, and will want to reap the same rewards of the plan as they did on Sunday.

“That worked,” commented Watson. “Both (Duckworth) and Scotty got shots off.

“On an energy-sapping day, everybody worked really hard.

“I thought the balance was good.

“We knew that playing a Premier League team we’d have to be solid and work hard without the ball.

“We kept a great clean sheet and caused them problems the other way.

“The result is very pleasing but the main thing about the early games of pre-season is to get them the right amount of game time and football.

“The most pleasing thing of it all is we’ve had a really good workout, done ourselves proud and came away with no injuries.”

Asked if the win was made sweeter by it being against Newcastle, the former Magpies fan favourite quipped: “I’d rather get a win against Sunderland on Wednesday.

“It’s great for the club to have had them down. You’ve got three or four players who were in the Euros and everybody who the York fans wanted to come and see. Allan Saint-Maximin came on and showed you what he’s capable of.

“I don’t think anybody’s getting carried away, it’s early days for both teams.

“But it’s great to see the black-and-white shirts of the team I grew up supporting.

“We’ve got three really good fixtures against the North East teams so if we can three wins I think I’ll celebrate the other two better.”

Newton and Brown have both had a touch of fatigue, hence their rotation around the impressive Josh King. On Wednesday, Watson will start some players who did not get much game time on Sunday.