Rory Boulding sent off as City Reserves defeated

Bradford City Reserves fell to a heavy home defeat at the hands of Hartlepool in the totesport.com League East tonight, despite taking an early lead.

The Bantams were handed a dream start in the 3rd minute through an own goal by Hartlepool's French trialist Julian Cherel.

Things took a turn for the worse for City, however, when Rory Boulding received a straight red card for a stamp on Pools' Neil Austin before Bradford's own French trialist Maxime Chanot equalled up matters with the game's second own goal at the start of the second half.

Pools took advantage of Chanot's mistake to press home their numerical advantage, registering three unanswered headed goals past Jon McLaughlin to add some gloss to the final scoreline.

Following their appearance last week at St James' Park, the duo of Clive Moyo-Modise and Tomi Ameobi were given their second chance to impress the Bantams' management against Pools.

The former Sheffield United player Chanot was also named in City's starting 11.

The Frenchman has joined the Bantams on trial after taking part in similar periods with Barnsley and Crewe Alexandra during the summer.

First-year apprentice Alex Flett was handed his second successive start with the reserves, following his promising display against Newcastle United.

The Bantams made a blistering start. A Moyo-Modise free kick was headed firmly against Pools' crossbar by Boulding, only for the ball to ricochet of the unfortunate Cherel's knee and fly into the net.

Hartlepool tried to respond almost immediately, debutant Chanot having to head clear from just under his own crossbar moments later.

Moyo-Modise then twice tested Pools keeper Nick Thomas in quick succession as City looked to make the most of their early advantage.

The chances were coming thick and fast at the Coral Windows Stadium as Hartlepool's Jonny Rowell stung the hands of McLaughlin with a fierce drive before Luke Sharry forced Thomas into a low save.

City came within inches of doubling their lead on the quarter-hour through skipper Matthew Clarke.

Ameobi reacted first to a bouncing ball in the Pools penalty area, allowing the giant striker to feed Clarke.

The defender showed great composure to dink the ball over the advancing Thomas, only to see his effort slam against the crossbar.

Moments later though the Bantams received a huge blow as Boulding was dismissed.

Boulding reacted angrily to a tackle by Austin and appeared to stamp out at the Hartlepool defender, leaving referee R J Madley with no choice but to give him his marching orders.

This left Ameobi to plough a lone furrow up front and the visitors with their tails up.

The red card understandably seemed to dilute the Bantams' attacking threat momentarily, as they faced up to over an hour with a man down.

With less than ten minutes of the half remaining, a slip by Sharry allowed Jon-Andrea Fredriksen to charge towards McLaughlin's goal with menace.

Fredriksen managed to squeeze a shot away on the edge of the Bantams' penalty area, but the City keeper was up to the task as he beat away the Norwegian's effort.

Moyo-Modise tried to score a spectacular goal on the stroke of half-time as he attempted an overhead kick, which was well held by Thomas.

Hartlepool though, reminded the Bantams of their increasing threat when Armann Bjornsson got the better of Chanot to place an effort that whistled just wide of McLaughlin's far post.

The second half started with wingers Moyo-Modise and Leon Osborne clearly under instruction to support Ameobi whenever possible as the Bantams looked to increase their attacking force.

It was down Hartlepool's wing though that Pools would equalise from five minutes into the second period.

Ritchie Humphreys managed to find enough space to send over an inviting low cross that Chanot could only misdirect past the helpless McLaughlin to make it 1-1.

City could have easily found themselves behind only moments after conceding the equaliser.

Two chances in quick succession went begging for Pools as Colin Larkin and Fredriksen both narrowly missed the target with strikes from just inside the Bantams' area.

Hartlepool's equaliser seemed to act as a shot in the arm for the visitors as they began to dominate possession.

Despite the best efforts of the Bantams players, Pools were starting to make their numerical advantage count, forcing City onto the back foot.

Hartlepool's Larkin forced a good save out of McLaughlin before the Bantams keeper produced an even better stop moments later to tip over a fierce Humphreys free-kick.

McLaughlin unfortunately though wasn't shown in the best of lights as Pools took the lead in the 70th minute, The Bantams goalkeeper appeared to come from his goal to claim a long ball by Pools full back Dylan Purvis but suddenly realised he wasn't going to reach the ball.

But it was too late as Bjornsson outjumped Clarke to head the ball over the stranded keeper and hand his side the lead.

There was nothing McLaughlin could have done about Bjornsson's second goal eight minutes later as a Larkin cross found the Icelander completely unmarked, enabling him to plant a firm header past the Bantams' shot-stopper.

After such a promising start for City, the match now appeared to be in the hands of Colin West's Hartlepool.

With this in mind, David Wetherall decided to hand run outs to apprentices Ryan Harrison, Dominic Rowe and Joe Mitchell in the final minutes of the match.

Rowe nearly made it an ending to remember as he found himself in space inside the Hartlepool area.

The diminutive winger almost used the space to good effect as he struck Thomas post with a stinging drive.

As the match entered injury time, one substitute did manage to register on the scoresheet - unfortunately it was for Pools.

Another Larkin cross spelt danger for City as sub Anthony Wakefield latched onto it to head home past McLaughlin in the match's final attack.

City Reserves: McLaughlin, Bateson, Horne, Sharry, Chanot, Clarke, Moyo-Modise (Rowe 87), Flett (Mitchell 87), Ameobi, R Boulding, Osborne. Substitutes (not used): Cutler, Cheetham.

Hartlepool United Reserves: Thomas, Purvis, Austin, Fredriksen (Power 83), Cherel, Marron, Larkin, Rowell, Bjornsson (Wakefield 83), Greulich (Blackford 74), Humphreys. Substitutes (not used): Sharples, Hurbert.

Referee: R J Madley