YORK City finished pre-season preparations with a well-deserved 3-0 win at Notts County.

Akil Wright and Jake Cassidy gave the visitors a two-goal half-time advantage and Alex Wollerton put the gloss on it with just over five minutes to go.

County were uninspired in the first half but that takes nothing away from Steve Watson's men, who were determined out of possession and showed the ruthlessness to get the goals when opportunity arose.

The Magpies came out well after the restart, tripling their number of shots on goal, while restricting City to just three, but York survived what could have been hairier moments and saw the game out well.

There were plenty of fresh faces in the line-up for the trip to Meadow Lane. Of the starting line-up, only Pete Jameson, Sean Newton – given the captain’s armband for the day – and Paddy McLaughlin remained from last season.

There were some familiar names on the bench, with defenders Harry Spratt, Josh King and Charlie Jebson-King representing City’s younger contingent.

After starting against Stockport County last weekend, Akil Wright – who had plenty of National League experience with Wrexham – again received the nod in midfield. Ahead of him, summer signings Jake Cassidy and Olly Dyson.

Magpies boss Neal Ardley gave a start to new recruit and former Welsh youth international shot-stopper Luke Pilling. One of last season’s top appearance-makers, Enzio Boldewijn – who started 36 of 37 games last season, scoring eight goals – began the day in midfield.

The sixth minute saw York’s theretofore longest spell of possession, starting in the middle with Wright winning the ball back before Dyson got it wide to Scott Barrow. Any opportunity there might have been started to fizzle out as play switched wide right and holding midfielder Jake Reeves eventually broke up the move.

Notts County’s first shot on goal arrived in the 14th minute – and it was a superb stop from Pete Jameson to deny them. Ruben Rodrigues found space between the centre-backs and was played through on goal but Jameson spread himself well, parrying the effort with his left hand and collecting from the loose rebound.

Just a couple of minutes on, Wright put City ahead. Receiving a right-wing cross to the far end of the six-yard box, Wright guided his header deftly back across keeper Pilling and into his bottom left corner.

Cassidy doubled City’s lead in the 24th minute. Michael Woods dispossessed centre-back Connell Rawlinson as he looked to move out of defence and the ball broke to Dyson who laid it off to Cassidy. The former Wolves man confidently curled left-footed to the right of Pilling.

Despite not being the most effervescent of performances on a windy day by the River Trent, it was consummate from Steve Watson’s side. Hard work, organisation and patience off the ball during County’s lengthy spells of possession rendered their National League hosts ineffective, and City were good value for their half-time lead.

Both sides came out into the second half with extra intensity. With County going more direct, Elisha Sam got away the first effort, making headed contact with Adam Chicksen’s in-swinging cross into the area. In space, he might have been disappointed to watch the ball skim harmlessly wide.

York called Pilling into action twice with a well-struck McLaughlin effort from distance before Barrow drove in a shot from the left after Pilling palmed away.

Dyson thought he had a good shout for a penalty just before the hour. A series of aerial balls ended up at the striker’s head around the six-yard but he went down under pressure from behind. His appeals were waved away.

As the game went into the final 20 minutes, the Magpies – with a raft of substitutions behind them – started to look more threatening and found more space to exploit. A good ball pulled back across the box evaded all City defenders – but also every County attacker. The lively Jimmy Knowles also fashioned a couple of chances but could not hit the target, an 83rd-minute strike from around the edge of the area sailing high and wide.

Second-half substitute Alex Wollerton made the result safe in the 84th minute. He latched onto a loose pass across the backline, touched it neatly beyond the last man and placed it beyond substitute keeper Sam Slocombe.

Notts County: Pilling (Slocombe 70), McCrory (Chicksen 27), Rawlinson, Lacey, Kelly-Evans (Wootton 68), Reeves (Graham), Boldewijn (Brindley 68), O’Brien, Rodrigues, Knowles, Sam (Thomas 68). Subs: Graham, Doyle.

York: Jameson 7, Duckworth 7 (Gamble 81), Barrow 7 (Spratt 84), Newton 7, Kennedy 6 (King 75), Tinkler 6, Wright 6, Woods 7 (Wollerton 75), Cassidy 6 (Potts 79), Dyson 6 (Brown 60), McLaughlin 6. Subs: Spratt, Guilfoyle, Jebson-King, Flatters.

Goals: Wright (16), Cassidy (24), Wollerton (84)

Yellow cards: Spratt

Star man: Michael Woods. The descriptor 'tough-tackling' does not quite do justice to some of the thumping - but legal - challenges Woods put in. Set the tone in midfield for the crucial opening half-hour.