Guiseley 1, City 1

A LOT can happen in 50 days – just ask Roy Hodgson, David Cameron or the EU.

Events at Valley Parade have seemed pretty seismic in the seven weeks and a day between being goaded off the Millwall pitch as the play-off dream ended and Saturday's pre-season opener.

There has been a regime change at the top and Phil Parkinson had staged his own Brexit – Bradford exit – taking with him a significant number of "outers".

But those who remain, while currently few in number, are led by a manager whose commitment can never be questioned.

Stuart McCall is starting his second reign with a virtually blank sheet of paper. Names need to be added and quickly with less than four weeks until the League One kick-off against Port Vale.

But the early signs at Nethermoor offered some hope to the vast City majority in a crowd down on last year in protest at the £15 admission fee.

For a first friendly, it was competitive and entertaining stuff. Amid the dust and cobwebs from a summer without a game, there were some bright performances.

We have learned over the years that City trialists come and mainly go – but here there were glimpses of players that could be worth sticking with.

It is difficult to read too much into what is effectively a souped-up training match but the fears in some quarters that the selection of first-week wannabes had been done on a scattergun approach were dispelled.

In Timothee Dieng, City had a strong, combative central midfielder who Oldham fans were gutted to see go. There is also the bonus that he can play centre half as well – which he did after the break.

Tom Hateley scored a goal that dad Mark would be proud of and showed up well in his 45 minutes after McCall changed shape to a diamond.

Keeper Rouven Sattelmaier played the full game and pulled off one good save onto the post, although the imminent arrival of Colin Doyle will limit his chances.

Fellow overseas import Vincent Rabiega showed up well in an all-action opening half hour but then had to limp off with a tight hamstring.

But if anyone summed up the hope and edgy excitement of McCall's second coming it was George Green.

The 20-year-old with the chequered back history knows he is sitting in the last-chance saloon. Burnley have given him one final opportunity to free the baggage and his undoubted talent.

They see a potential loan return to City and to McCall, someone who knows him so well, as hopefully the making of the player and he went at the second half like a man possessed.

McCall admitted he even had to bawl at Green to calm down after ten minutes of ricocheting around the action; a "buzz bomb" as the manager described him afterwards.

But the ability was clearly there for all to see and he immediately won over the watching Bantams faithful.

Green was not the only youngster to catch the eye as two of City's own came to the fore, particularly new professional Danny Devine.

Parkinson was accused at times of a reluctance to throw in home-grown youth but he was a fan of Devine and it seems the teenager has made just as good an impression on his new boss.

Striker Reece Webb-Foster, thrown on early for the unfortunate Rabiega, also rattled the woodwork in a typical shoot-on-sight display.

Filipe Morais and Stephen Darby were both reduced to watching roles, although the Portuguese did take part in the warm-up.

In his absence, the spotlight out wide was on Paul Anderson and Mark Marshall, with Tony McMahon pressed into left-back duty.

Both wingers tested Guiseley keeper Dan Atkinson. Marshall, having put one shot onto the neighbouring bowls green, was denied at the near post and Anderson by a good piece of recovery on the goal line.

Dieng smacked the bar from 20 yards as the chances began to mount up and the game continued to open up after the break. The woodwork denied Webb-Foster before Green saw a long-range effort tipped round the post.

Guiseley were also finding some joy and Oli Johnson volleyed wide – but the home striker made no mistake when Adam Boyes found him in loads of space, calmly slotting the ball beneath Sattelmaier.

City's response was swift and sweet. Nicky Law played a short free-kick to Hateley outside the box and his former team-mate north of the border swept home a convincing finish.

City: Sattelmaier, Boateng, King, Knight-Percival, McMahon, Marshall, Dieng, Devine, Anderson, Rabiega (Webb-Foster), Hanson. Subs: Laird, Law, Hateley, B Clarke, N Clarke, Meredith.

Second half: Sattelmaier, Dieng, Devine, N Clarke, Powell, Meredith, Hateley, Green, Law, B Clarke, Webb-Foster.