York City 1 Leeds United 1: Dalby goal forces stalemate at Bootham Crescent
Dalby stepped off the bench at half-time and produced an opportunistic finish on 58 minutes to peg United’s non-league opponents back and force a stalemate at Bootham Crescent.
York had taken the lead during a spell of dominance in the early stages of tonight’s friendly, striking through a trialist defender.
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Hide AdBut Dalby’s tap-in drew Leeds level, 48 hours on from a 2-1 win at Forest Green Rovers in their first pre-season match.
Bielsa took most of his senior players to Forest Green and last night’s starting line-up did not have a central defender in it. Ronaldo Vieira, Mateusz Klich and Laurens De Bock started as a back three.
Lewis Baker made his first appearance for the club after signing from Chelsea last month but fellow Stamford Bridge loanee Jamal Blackman was missing again, working on his conditioning with a view to playing at Southend United on Sunday.
Bielsa’s defence were made to wobble early on and goalkeeper Kamil Miazek pulled off a diving save to stop full-back Sean Newton curling in a free-kick from 25 yards. Klich then appeared at the crucial moment to stop Macaulay Langstaff shooting into an exposed net from close range.
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Hide AdMiazek was tested again when York’s trialist defender produced a volley on the turn but he could do nothing on 24 minutes when the same player ran into bury a free header underneath a corner from Newton.
United gradually took control and Baker and Jack Clarke were denied by Adam Bartlett before York’s keeper kept out Leeds’ best chance of the half by rushing out to deny Jamie Shackleton on 45 minutes.
Bielsa introduced three substitutes at the break, including Dalby, and after City hit the crossbar through a header from Langstaff, the young forward came up with an equaliser on 58 minutes.
Klich drove the loose ball from a corner against the underside of the bar and Dalby was waiting to prod the rebound into an unguarded net.
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Hide AdYork City: Bartlett, Griffiths (Wright 60), Newton, Bencherif, Trialist (Parslow 46), Penn (Moke 60), York (Steels 65), Heslop, Burrow (Parkin 60), Kempster (Ferguson 60), Langstaff (Law 60). Sub (not used): Whitley.
Leeds United: Miazek (Huffer 46), De Bock, Klich, Vieira, Shackleton, Ideguchi, Baker, Stevens (Dalby 46), Pearce, Clarke, Edmondson (Diaz 46). Sub (not used): Rey.
Referee: Ross Joyce
Attendance: 4,400