Leeds too strong for Falkirk youngsters

Scotland international Robert Snodgrass netted as Falkirk suffered a 2-0 friendly defeat to a talented Leeds outfit at Falkirk Stadium last night.

Amid continuing financial constraints, the First Division side named six players who were 20 or under in their starting line-up and the Championship team simply proved too strong. Tam Scobbie put through his own net on 36 minutes following a wicked Ramon Nunez cross.

Ex-Livingston winger Snodgrass nodded United's second eight minutes after the break from a Lloyd Sam centre.

Falkirk manager Steven Pressley, who fielded new on-loan Bolton defender Rhys Bennett and trialists Michael McGovern, Tam McManus and David Winters, saw his charges go closest when teenage striker Ally Graham struck the bar with a clipped 18-yard effort.

Leeds manager Simon Grayson gave Snodgrass' Scots colleague Ross McCormack a second-half run-out and an immediate debut to Michael Brown after his Portsmouth release, before a healthy 2,065 crowd. Scotland internationalist Phil Bardsley was on the mark as Sunderland opened their pre-season programme with a 2-1 win at York last night. The Wearsiders, who fielded a strong starting XI, established a 2-0 half-time lead through Bardsley and Oumare Tounkara. York pulled one back after the break when Titus Bramble felled Jamie Reed in the area and Reed slotted the spot-kick home.