TV ECHTERDINGEN 1 CITY 4

THE town square bounced merrily to the volume of Bradford City anthems.

It’s fair to say Echterdingen had never witnessed anything quite like it as the travelling West Yorkshire army descended on Saturday night.

Tony McMahon, Colin Doyle and Romain Vincelot conducted the choir as players, fans, coaching staff and chairman saw off the squad’s training camp in style.

The Bantam family, the popular phrase coined by the club, was in evidence in the carnival atmosphere. Everyone mingled and nothing was off limits.

Proof of the group starting to come together on the pitch was visible a few hours earlier in City’s first pre-season win.

Their seventh-tier hosts did not roll over on the occasion to celebrate their 125th anniversary and Stuart McCall’s men will have been grateful for that.

Echterdingen even had the cheek to score first with a wonderful long-range strike from Meksud Colic, allowing for the fact that he had clearly fouled Nathaniel Knight-Percival in the build-up.

But that and the absurd length of the grass on the playing surface – McCall joked about organising a whip-round for a lawnmower – were the minor gripes.

The boisterous and well-watered away following could see the positives emerging in the bigger picture.

Adam Chicksen again showed up well as proof that life at left back goes on beyond James Meredith. A potentially fruitful partnership down that side with Nicky Law is already beginning to develop.

Law’s preference to cut inside allows the former Charlton man the room to fly down the flank and he delivered a couple of teasing crosses in the first half that should have been rewarded.

In the search for more goals from midfield, Timothee Dieng has obviously been encouraged to shoot more and his positive approach came up with City’s first goal of their warm-up fixtures.

Fans also got a first glimpse of Paul Taylor and returning loanee Alex Gilliead after they had sat out the Avenue defeat.

Taylor’s contribution will be remembered for an absolutely horrendous open-goal miss but his speed and trickery to take on opponents, even on a pitch designed for anything but, showed promise.

Ditto Omari Patrick, whose quick feet backed up a lively outing the week before. Judging by the reports from Austria during the week, he is making an impression with management.

And then there was Dan Pybus, who seems to be edging ahead of Danny Devine in the pecking order for central midfield senior status.

McCall feels Pybus has something to prove to himself after being released by Sunderland and the youngster showed up well in City’s side for the second half.

The Bantams had suffered a shock when they fell behind midway through the first period. Rouven Sattelmaier, captaining the team up to half-time, had no chance with the ferocity of the 40-yard half volley dispatched by Colic.

Sattlemaier’s opposite number Hiroyuki Kawama defied good efforts from Dominic Poleon and centre half Gordon Greer, who wasn’t seriously tested by the opposition but still demonstrated enough of his leadership at the back to warrant City’s keen interest.

City’s pressure earned an equaliser before the break as Dieng beat the Japanese keeper with a low effort from outside the box.

With Charlie Wyke spared because of a sore hamstring, Devine had to put in the extra minutes for the second half. The rest of the team, as with the week before, was changed entirely.

Taylor somehow contrived to fluff from six yards out after Pybus had put it on a plate.

But the second goal 12 minutes from the end was worth waiting for. Jake Reeves picked out Shay McCartan with a pin-point pass and the Irishman coolly danced his way round Kawama to convert.

Patrick refused to be budged off the ball as he charged his way through for number three.

And Pybus rounded off a satisfying performance with City’s fourth a minute later, following up to score after his initial attempt was blocked on the line.

Bigger challenges obviously await McCall’s men, notably the visit of Sunderland to Valley Parade on Saturday.

But with just under three weeks to go until the big kick-off, they are moving in the right direction on the field.

Off it, there is no doubt about the strides being made. You only had to be part of the claret and amber street party to be sure of that.

CITY (first half): Sattelmaier, Barr, Greer, Knight-Percival, Chicksen, Patrick, Devine, Dieng, Law, Jones, Poleon.

Second half: Doyle, Hanson, Kilgallon, Vincelot, McMahon, Gilliead, Reeves, Devine (Patrick 69), Taylor, Pybus, McCartan.

ECHTERDINGER: Kawama, Garcia-Franco, Stehle, Hertel, Colic, Schaller, Gocer, Kuhnle, Widmayer, Kranjc, Lechleitner.