CITY FINISH PRE-SEASON WITH A WIN

City wrapped up their pre-season campaign in style with a convincing win over League One side Wycombe Wanderers at Ashton Gate.

The home side started brightly with Nicky Maynard and David Clarkson both testing ex-Gashead keeper Scott Shearer with long range efforts after early Wycombe pressure.

Shearer was forced off shortly after, following a clash of heads with Marvin Elliott, and City beat his replacement Jamie Young moments later for the opener.

Young produced a tame punch which landed at the feat of Bradley Orr, who curled home from the edge of the box six minutes before the break.

Orr had another chance to double the lead moments after the break, latching on to Paul Hartley's cleaver free-kick but could only fire straight at Young.

The let off seemed to spark the Chairboys back into life and they were soon level on 60.

Forward Chris Zebrowski stole the ball from Fontaine to tee up former Newcastle and Wimbledon target man Carl Cort down the right.

Afforded too much time and space, Cort produced a pinpoint cross to find the unmarked Matt Phillips to equalise at the far post.

They say you are most vulnerable just after you score a goal and so it proved three minutes later.

Hartley swept a superb ball out to the left for McAllister to produce a measured cross for David Clarkson, who emphatically headed home to restore the lead.

The goal galvanised City, who cranked up the pressure on the visitors.

Maynard, looking encouragingly dangerous ahead of the season curtain raiser next week, was brilliantly denied by Young and Elliott saw his effort on the rebound blocked on the line.

Young was also forced to turn away an Ivan Sproule shot that had the former Reading keeper wrong footed and not long after, the home team were awarded a penalty.

John Mousinho clumsily hauled down Elliott, who was looking almost back to his best.

Sub John Akinde, who fired 8 goals in 11 starts for Wycombe in a loan spell last season, stepped up only to fire tamely to Young's left, who saved with ease.

But City weren't finished as roadrunner like Ivan Sproule sprung the offside trap, galloping onto Louis Carey's defence splitting pass to lob the onrushing Young for a deserved third.

CITY (3-4-1-2): Gerken, Carey, Fontaine (sub McCombe 74), Nyatanga, Orr (sub B.Wilson 74), Hartley, Elliott, McAllister; Clarkson (sub Williams 74); Haynes (sub Akinde 74), Maynard (sub Sproule 74)

Marvin Elliott - 8/10

Close call between him and Hartley, who linked up very well in the middle of the park, but Marv looked like he could hit the heights of 2007/08 on this performance. This was a decent run out for the boys but I don't think the squad's as sharp as it could be yet. The big plus was Marv and Hartley both looking the part but big question mark still lies over the keeper Gerken. We created good chances, as 5 goals in two home games back up, but will in interesting to see how this formation shapes up against better opposition.

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