York Schoolboys Under-13s beaten at home by Sheffield – despite debutant's goal

York opened the game playing into the low sun, and failed to capitalise on an early free kick, as both teams struggled to make their mark in the early stages of a goalless first half.

At the other end, a pressured York defence conceded a pair of free kicks on the edge of the area, the first of which was headed over and the second caught two Sheffield strikers offside.

The main Sheffield threat from the right-hand side was well contained by the Jack Maeer and Tom Coy, while the home midfield started to take control of the game, with Kaiden Butler and Dillon Meehan running hard and closing Sheffield down.

A dangerous Sheffield free kick was calmly marshalled out by Will Hotson under pressure before a left-wing cross was closed down by keeper Noah Ellis.

Tommy Cahill’s relentless work was bringing York rewards, on one occasion winning the ball down the left wing and leaving the Sheffield team chasing shadows before playing it across goal, but Butler’s subsequent effort was cleared off the line.

An attacking spell for Sheffield at the end of the half was contained only by the good defensive work of Archie Colley.

Sheffield opened the second period on top, but their quick attack was cleared by Will Hotson’s solid header, and York took the ball up the other end with Kieran Clayton who crossed for Harrison to gently lift over the keeper for the opener.

York pressed further through Dillon Meehan, Cahill and Harrison, but the visitors equalised with a long-range thunderbolt.

Buoyed, Sheffield went in search of more, and soon found a second with a header from a corner, before getting a third through another shot from distance.

The hosts continued to work hard, but good work from Cahill, Colley and man-of-the-match Clayton was not enough to rescue a result.

James Rennocks scored a hat-trick as York & District Schoolboys U11s emerged 6-2 winners when they visited a strong Nottingham outfit.

The first half was a closely-contested affair between two competitive teams, but York took the lead when Alex Widdup pounced on a defensive error, rounded the keeper and rolled the ball home.

Nottingham levelled with a stunning strike from the right into the top corner, before Charlie Thompson poked home from a goal-line scramble to give York the lead going into the break.

Rennocks found himself leading the line for the visitors in the second half, and opened the period with a skilful goal, turning his man and rifling into the roof of the net from a tight angle.

He quickly added two more, while keeper Jack Yates was called upon at the other end to smother a Nottingham opportunity.

Arthur Jefferson-Hallet’s towering header got York’s sixth, before the hosts – who had been a constant attacking threat – got a second consolation from a penalty.