NEAL ARDLEY praised defender Scott Barrow after playing a full 90 minutes in York City’s North Riding Senior Cup defeat to Guisborough on Wednesday evening.

Whilst the 3-2 defeat won’t have been the result York were anticipating, it was an emotional day for defender Barrow, who made his first appearance in City colours since the Vanarama National League North play-off final victory over Boston United in the 2021/22 season.

After the long road back to recovery, Barrow struggled to hide his emotions, telling the media team: "It’s pleasing, 17 months for that opportunity, it’s been tough.

“All the way, a lot of setbacks, a lot of emotions like that at times, to have that moment.

“90 minutes, which I didn’t expect to have, I only expected to have 60, but I got through it.

“Bar the result, for myself, that was something special.”

Ardley also commented on Barrow’s return, saying: “He’ll be a little bit stiff! Especially on the heavy pitch, but it’s all about them minutes and what that does mentally for him.

“I think it’s good first of all for Scotty Barrow, he really needed to get that game under his belt for his own confidence, for his own belief.

“He’s trained for a long period of time just trying to get his body back to where he wanted it to, 90 minutes was massive for him.

“That could be the beginning hopefully of him kicking on.

“For the other players, Mitch Hancox hasn’t started a game in a while and Thierry (Latty-Fairweather) has come back and has had a week to ten days worth of work with the physio, and then joined in training.

“It was important he got some minutes under his belt, and it’s the same with Zanda (Siziba) who hasn’t started that many games in a period of time.

“For me it’s good, it gets them all to a place confidence wise and mentally where they have all had some game time.”