Avenue 3, City 2

City may have lost their grip on the Tom Banks Memorial Trophy but Peter Jackson got the one result he was really after as Simon Ramsden made a successful return to action at Horsfall Stadium.

An unfamiliar-looking City squad lost out to neighbours Avenue thanks to three wonderful goals but Jackson must still have been happy with the proceedings thanks to the defender’s return.

Ramsden managed to get 45 minutes under his belt and is now believed to be under consideration for Sunday’s home friendly against Bolton Wanderers.

By the time of his departure, four of the game’s five goals had already been netted.

Avenue twice took the lead through fierce efforts from Rob O’Brien and former City defender Sam Denton, with Nialle Rodney equalising both for the Bantams.

With penalties looking increasingly on the cards to decide the destination of the trophy, Avenue substitute Billy Law finally settled the contest with a neat finish from a tight angle.

Apart from the likes of Luke O’Brien and Lee Bullock, City’s squad was made up largely of development squad members and trialists.

They included Tom Elliott, who had recovered from a training ground injury, as City fielded as many as six trialists at one time or another.

After featuring between the sticks against Guiseley on Tuesday, Mark Howard once again filled the goalkeeping position.

Falkirk winger Jack Compton received a run-out on the left flank, while French duo Maxime Blanchard and Loic Lumbilla, youngster Callum Bagshaw and Charlie Reece of Bristol Rovers also featured.

Bermudan striker Nahki Wells, fresh from penning a one-year deal with the Bantams, was also involved as a second-half substitute. A trio of apprentices – Adam Baker, Nathan Lawless and James Nanje – were also selected on City’s bench.

The likes of Guy Branston, David Syers and Mark Stewart were in the crowd to lend support to their team-mates – but it was Avenue who took an early lead with a stunning strike.

Midfielder O’Brien took aim from around 20 yards and let rip with a powerful effort that flew past Howard’s outstretched arm into the top corner.

City’s scratch side understandably took time to find their feet against clearly motivated opposition, although Compton did go close with a free-kick.

Ramsden then crossed for Elliott to send a looping header narrowly over Avenue goalkeeper James Coates’ crossbar.

With City now starting to settle, they grabbed an equaliser midway through the first half.

After capitalising on a loose pass from James Knowles, Compton led a City counter-attack deep into Avenue territory. The winger eventually fed Rodney, who calmly tucked the ball into the far corner.

They did not stay on level terms for long as Avenue regained the lead just two minutes later when Denton rifled a low free-kick into the corner from just outside the area.

Luke Dean went close to levelling matters again as his looping effort from outside the area pinged off the bar.

But the Bantams did haul themselves level just before the interval as Reece played Rodney into space behind Avenue’s defence and the striker drove home for his second goal.

Both Rodney and Elliott had half-chances to put City in front in the closing stages of the half, while Michael Duckworth side-footed narrowly wide at the other end.

City made a host of changes at the interval and as the second period progressed, and with Avenue also making a number of substitutions as well, the flow of the match suffered as a result.

Wells did show some bright touches after coming on but the match lacked further clear-cut chances until that moment of magic from Law.

The replacement attacker drifted inside a couple of City defenders before nestling an angled drive into the goal via the far post.

City nearly found another equaliser minutes later but Coates produced a smart reflex save to turn Wells’ close-range effort onto the post, while Nanje fired a yard or so wide.