Stoke reserves 3

City reserves 1

City's Pontin's League game kicked off late after the team were delayed by the closure of the M62, but despite having to forgo even a pre-match warm-up they were still quick out of the blocks, taking the lead in the ninth minute.

Joe Colbeck received the ball on the right from Liam Smith - who had an excellent game at centre half - and crossed for Joe Brown to lift over Stoke keeper Robert Duggan's head.

Ben Saynor could only parry a shot in the 20th minute, allowing Robert Garrett to fire home the loose ball to equalise.

Four minutes later John Swift combined well with Ben Muirhead, who crossed into an open goalmouth but there was nobody on hand to provide the finishing touch.

Saynor pulled off a string of saves in a matter of seconds in a crowded goalmouth but was eventually beaten on 31 minutes with a clinical finish from Hungarian under-21 international Adam Voss.

Right on the half-time whistle, an attempted backpass by Damian Hopkins was intercepted by Garrett, who slotted the ball into the corner of the net for his second goal of the afternoon.

The second half saw a much improved performance by the Bantams and Brown almost pulled one back when he received the ball from Colbeck but his glancing header sailed just wide of the post.

Thomas nearly made it 4-1 with a shot from the edge of the area that cannoned off the City crossbar.

City: Saynor, Swift, O'Brien, Bentham, L Smith, Hopkins, Colbeck, McGuire, Brown, N Smith(Mitchell), Muirhead. Subs: Taylforth, Convey, Bellamy, Morgan.