It’s pretty safe to say that the final friendly is always low-scoring. City won 1-0 at Oldham yesterday after going goalless at Altrincham last year.

Players become naturally cautious, fearing that the slightest knock or niggle will jeopardise their plans for the start of the real thing next week.

In City’s case, Tommy Leigh struggled early on, but the post-match diagnosis was not as concerning. However, it can result in a sterile match between two teams that are hesitant to take risks.

The first half was uneventful, with Leigh limping away and Will Swan firing a glorious shot over the bar from Brad Halliday’s cross.

City showed more energy and intent after the break, and they were rewarded with the only goal at 64 minutes.

Oldham had just had a penalty appeal turned down when winger Jack Stevens went down clutching his head in the City box.

Play then switched to the other end, where Stephen Humphrys, a lifelong Oldham resident and boyhood fan, cut in from the right to smash home an angled shot that keeper Mat Hudson could only help into the net.

Sam Walker made a camera save on Manny Monthe’s downward header before Josh Neufville stretched Hudson a little more athletically to keep City from scoring again.

Chris Lucketti, Graham Alexander, and Colin Doyle watched closely from the dugout as City finished pre-season with a 1-0 victory at Oldham. (Image: Thomas Gadd) One, however, was always going to be enough – as it usually is in the final dress rehearsal.

So, now that the phoney war has ended, what is Alexander’s battle plan? Before a ball was kicked at Boundary Park, the back three for the match against Wycombe had effectively been decided.

With Neill Byrne and Ciaran Kelly injured and Aden Baldwin set to serve the second of his two-game suspension for the head loss at Doncaster, Curtis Tilt, Joe Wright, and Matt Pennington were added to the team sheet.

There was a brief hold-your-breath moment when Wright remained down following an aerial collision. But a whack in the mouth was not going to be a long-term issue.

Alexander used Baldwin on the left side to give Tilt a rest on the bench until the final 25 minutes. Tilt was then used centrally in place of Wright, with Lewis Richards making his pre-season debut as a centre half rather than a winger.

The various defensive connotations proved effective in keeping a fourth clean sheet out of five during the warm-up programme.

The only goal conceded by City in the friendlies came from a set piece, a superb free kick from Davor Brajkovic for Austrian club SK Vorwärts Steyr.

Oldham took an hour to get a shot on goal, and it was a scuff from Mike Fondop that rolled through to Walker.

It was easy to see why the home side, which had only been promoted back to the EFL eight weeks before, had only scored once in their four friendlies since. “Plodding” was how manager Micky Mellon described their attacking efforts.

As we approach the start line of the season’s marathon, the city’s own options up front remain in question. Humphrys scored well, and much is expected of the Barnsley native.

With Calum Kavanagh resting a nagging shin problem and Andy Cook still out for the foreseeable future, the onus will be on him and fellow new recruit Swan, who lined up ahead of Bobby Pointon in the left-side supporting role.

That could be an intriguing matchup for matchday one.

George Lapslie was one of three outfielders to go the distance, joining Pennington and Halliday, and he competes with Antoni Sarcevic for the starting spot.

Will Swan felt the force of a strong challenge yesterday. (Image: Thomas Gadd) Alexander was dissatisfied with the lack of a coordinated press from the front in the first half.

It was certainly a far cry from the Kavanagh-inspired effort that set Swan up for his goal against Middlesbrough three days earlier. Without Alex Pattison in midfield, Jenson Metcalfe made his debut for Everton before the ink had dried on his move.

He was a little overzealous at times, particularly when he went in late on Ryan Woods, and appeared unfamiliar with the game plan, but you’d expect the talented 20-year-old to be eased in while he finds his footing.

According to Alexander, he is two weeks behind the rest, which is a significant gap in terms of the physical output the manager expects from his pre-seasons.

The players have almost unanimously described the last five weeks as the most difficult they have ever faced. Now, everyone’s attention is on what really matters.

OLDHAM: Hudson, Ogle, Daniels (Sutton 73), Leake (Hawkes 78), Pett (Hammond 54), Stevens (Garner 63), Conlon, Woods, Morris (Monthe 58), Hannant (Drummond 73), Fondop (Harratt 83). CITY:

Walker, Pennington, Wright (Tilt 66), Baldwin (Richards 66), Halliday, Leigh (Power 15), Metcalfe (Sarcevic 66), Touray (Neufville 66), Lapslie, Swan (Ibbitson 85), Humphrys (Pointon 72).

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