BRADFORD City Women's fringe players took their chance to shine as the Bantams ended 2016 with an 8-0 win at Yorkshire Amateur in the West Riding County Cup.

After a string of strong displays for the reserves, Keavy Smith, Jade Brindle and Rebecca Sherrand certainly made an impact, scoring a goal apiece.

Player-manager Charlotte Stuart, who watched from the dugout with assistant Faye Boshell, said: "It was a very good, professional performance. We were very impressed with the team, especially the girls that made the step up.

"It was the perfect end to 2016 and just what we needed after all the hard work the girls have put in recently, only to be dealt two disappointing results."

City peppered the home goal from the first whistle, drawing goalkeeper Steph Robinson into a couple of terrific early saves.

Laura Elford finally got the better of her just short of 20 minutes, before Smith volleyed in a second goal with her weaker right foot.

The score read 3-0 at half-time as Elford and Shauna Legge danced through the opposition, allowing the former player to drill in her second. Yet the scoreline was laced with frustration for City as they could well have hit double figures already.

"The first half we were playing in and around the box but I wanted the girls to be more direct centrally," said Stuart.

"They did this in the second half. The left and right backs linked up well with the forward players and it showed in the goals scored."

Brindle was introduced at the interval and was quick to get involved. Her pinpoint cross was nodded in by Hannah Campbell, who had just added a fourth with a splendid chip.

Jess Graham's perfectly weighted through-ball for the sixth was only bettered by Brindle's first-time finish, before Graham herself scored from the spot after being brought down.

Brindle created the final goal of the day too, with great work from Yasmin Ayub allowing her to cut the ball back for Sherrand to finish in the final embers of the game.

Stuart said: "We do need to work on our midfield runs in behind and our shooting, as we like shooting straight at the keeper! But it was great to end the year on a high."

The victory takes City into the quarter-finals of the competition, of which they are the defending champions.