Liam is a wonder wall as Town call the tune
Smith, who took his charges to Walsall last night for the semi-final of the Midlands Floodlit Youth Cup, fielded a mixture of Under-16 and Under-17 players against the side topping the table.
But the Town boys held firm to record a narrow win thanks to Harry Deane's second-half penalty.
It was the perfect boost for the Youth team ahead of the big cup match and a second outing inside 60 hours.
And while he admits it wasn't their best performance, Smith says they showed character to keep the young Minstermen out.
Smith said: "We didn't start well against York and that set the tone for the first 45 minutes.
"York had more possession and the better chances while we didn't create anything.
"We looked short of energy – maybe it was down to playing a mixed side with the cup game in mind.
"There were some strong words at half-time – we wanted the lads to get back to basics.
"And they were a lot better in the second half, creating more and being a bigger threat.
"We took the lead through a Harry Deane penalty in the 65th minute and that settled us a lot.
"York put us under a lot of pressure but defensively we stood strong.
"Overall, it was a really good result on a day when we didn't play as much football as we usually do."
One player Smith singled out for special praise was Under-16 goalkeeper Liam Higton, who made his Youth debut at the weekend.
The coach went on: "Liam Higton deserves a special mention – he was outstanding on his debut.
"Considering it came against the high-flyers in the division and the pressure we were under, he was magnificent – it was an outstanding debut."
Smith admitted last night's trip to the Black Country may have been on his players' minds with the chance to make the final for the second time in four years high on agenda.
But he was thankful they kept their good run going ahead of last night's encounter and another tough home league match against title-chasing Chesterfield on Saturday.
Smith added: "Maybe Monday was on their minds and I can understand that.
"We are maybe too far off the chase in the league and the cups have been good experiences for the boys.
"Not least last night and the chance to play at a league ground like Walsall's.
"It gave the young players a chance to play on a big pitch and also experience what comes with a big game like the journey and pre-match meal all together.
"We knew it would be a tough test against a good Walsall team who have been doing well in their own league so it's the sort of test the players can only benefit from."
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