OXFORD 2 CITY 1

THERE are just over 50 miles between the Kassam Stadium and Wembley.

But that’s as close as Bradford City will get on this front as their Checkatrade Trophy campaign ended on the same ground which had put paid to their unbeaten league start in the October sunshine.

On the day that Stuart McCall boosted his options with four deadline signings, it was ironically a lack of numbers for a spell that proved City’s undoing.

The Bantams played on with ten men when Rory McArdle went off early in the second half following a clash of heads – a moot point with McCall, who felt it took far too long to sort out the defender’s stitches.

And the home side scored twice during that period, which turned out to be enough despite a late reply from Jordy Hiwula.

In the grand scheme, defeat will irritate rather than deeply disappoint City. After finally announcing the capture of Charlie Wyke, anything else seemed small beer.

But another £50,000 in prize money would have been handy after shelling out five times that on Wyke – plus that opportunity to move within one win of stepping out at the national stadium.

Rouven Sattelmaier said before the game that he could almost smell Wembley. But he needed all his senses about him early on to push away a Kane Hemmings drive.

City’s first corner on 15 minutes nearly brought a first goal. James Meredith flicked Nicky Law’s kick goalwards but Marvin Johnson cleared off the line.

The visitors enjoyed plenty of the ball and a slack pass from Joe Rothwell nearly let in Hiwula before Chey Dunkley recovered in the nick of time.

Oxford had broken City’s hearts with a free-kick winner in stoppage time in October.

But Chris Maguire’s attempt of a repeat nearly back-fired when the wall did its job and Mark Marshall had the hosts frantically back-pedalling with a lightning counter.

Marshall was a willing attacking force as usual and Curtis Nelson scrambled a teasing cross past the far post.

Another effort from the winger was comfortably gathered by one-time City keeper Simon Eastwood. But Oxford then strung together a menacing four-man move of their own, Stephen Darby making the block to deny Rothwell’s shot from inside the box.

But City suffered a blow at the start of the second half when McArdle disappeared towards the dressing room for stitches after a head clash with Curtis Nelson.

And Oxford made their numerical advantage pay by scoring twice in three minutes.

The first came from the penalty spot after Rob Hall wriggled between two defenders and was felled by Romain Vincelot. Maguire emphatically drilled the spot-kick into the roof of the net.

Timothee Dieng had dropped back to centre half to fill the gap. But with City still depleted, they quickly found themselves deeper in trouble as Marvin Johnson thrashed home from 25 yards.

Danny Devine replaced the absent McArdle for the re-start but the damage had been done. McCall said afterwards he would have made the change straight off had he known the treatment would hve taken so long.

Oxford were happy to shoot on sight and Rothwell fired another long-ranger just over Sattelmaier’s bar as last season’s Trophy finalists took a firm grip on the game.

Ellis Hudson’s late appearance for Billy Clarke suggested McCall had one eye on Saturday by that stage.

Dieng prevented a third with a good recovery challenge after Maguire had slipped clear of him on goal.

And Hiwula gave City some late hope with his tenth goal of the season, his looping header clearing Eastwood and bouncing in off the underside of the bar.

Sattelmaier ran upfield to join the mass of bodies for a final free-kick in the sixth minute of added time. The ball did break City’s way but Hudson could not keep the shot down.

City’s five-month involvement in the ugly duckling competition was over just when it was getting interesting.

But frustration will be tempered by the prospect of welcoming an 18-goal striker on board for Saturday’s home clash with Gillingham. That’s a game that really does matter.

OXFORD: Eastwood 6, Edwards 6, Nelson 7, Dunkley 6, Ruffels 7 (Ledson 77min), Maguire 8, Rothwell 7, Sercombe 6, Johnson 7, Hall 7, Hemmings 6 (Lundstram 65min). Subs (not used): Stevens, Graham, Roberts, Carroll.

CITY: Sattelmaier 6, Darby 6, Vincelot 6, McArdle 7 (Devine 57min, 6), Meredith 7, Marshall 7, Dieng 6, Cullen 7, Law 6, Hiwula 6, Clarke 6 (Hudson 73min). Subs (not used): Penney, King, Doyle.