Bradford City reserves 1

Barnsley reserves 1

First team places are suddenly up for grabs.

Bryan Robson has given the green light to the youngsters by blooding Kevin Sanasy, Tom Penford and Danny Forrest.

And that made sure last night's final reserve home game of the season really meant something.

Neither Sanasy nor Penford featured, suggesting their spots in Saturday's line-up against West Brom were secure. But there were other contenders ready to push their claims.

Sanasy and Dean Windass were in the crowd to see who would step forward but the first half was hardly Monaco v Chelsea.

City had most of the ball, with Michael Standing, Craig Bentham and Tom Kearney a busy trio in midfield, but took half an hour to force a first save from Danny Alcock.

When it did come, the Barnsley stopper was alert to the danger as Ben Muirhead squared for Liam Flynn and turned the left-winger's low shot behind.

City picked up the tempo and Forrest's clever pass slipped Flynn through but again Alcock foiled him by smothering at his feet.

The best shot of a drab 45 minutes came at the other end where Nicky Wroe whistled one narrowly wide from 25 yards with Clint Davies at full stretch to guard his right post.

City resumed brightly and within three minutes Flynn had eluded Dale Tonge to deliver a dangerous cross just beyond the incoming Forrest. Muirhead kept it alive with a lob back from the byline which Alcock punched out before claiming Standing's reaction volley.

Muirhead was denied in the box by a sliding tackle from Lee Crooks and then linked up with Standing, who spoiled a good move by skying his shot horribly.

But Barnsley stole the lead on the hour as Simon Heslop showed how it should be done, drilling low and hard between Davies and the far post from a corner. City could have hit back straight away as the lively Flynn flashed a great cross through the six-yard box but nobody was close enough to nudge it home.

Standing had a shot blocked by left back Robbie Williams in front of goal before Kearney's persistence paid off when he was dragged down in the box by the same

defender five minutes from time. Alcock went the right way for the penalty but Standing's shot was perfectly placed in the corner. Barnsley nearly pinched it at the death as a header from striker Griff Jones bounced back off the bar.

City: Davies, Swift, Richardson (Wright 64min), Kearney, Folkes, Bower, Muirhead, Standing, Forrest, Bentham (Doherty 85min), Flynn (Clifford 80min). Subs (not used): Ellis, Colbeck.