Bradford City 1

Accrington 2

Stanley inflicted another fine mess at Valley Parade last night.

Non-leaguers Accrington added their name to City's cup roll of shame alongside Notts County, Luton, Darlington and Wrexham.

Colin Todd was spitting feathers behind a locked dressing room door afterwards. And who could blame him? Certainly none of the 1,868 hardy souls who made the effort to watch City's first appearance in the unloved LDV Vans Trophy since 1995.

Those who didn't bother to turn up had probably read the script. An awful performance and the team from the lower level wins - it's hardly original.

After all, you have to go back to September, 2001 at Rotherham for City's last successful cup tie. And it's four years since they last won one at Valley Parade.

Todd made five changes and spared the likes of David Wether-all, Nicky Summerbee, Darren Holloway and Wayne Jacobs.

How City missed them. Rookie Sam Denton apart, he replaced the absentees with experience which should have been enough to see off a hard-working but hardly world-beating Stanley.

But City were never at the races. The team to face Barnsley on Saturday will pick itself.

Accrington started and finished the better. The only time City really threatened was in the spell immediately after Mike Flynn had headed the visitors in front.

Centre half Flynn has LDV pedigree - he won it last season with Blackpool. Having joined Accring-ton last week, he made an instant impact in the 26th minute by flicking in Paul Cook's free-kick after Steve Schumacher had fouled Paul Howarth by the right touchline.

The goal was no more than Acc-rington deserved after going close twice through the impressive Ian Craney and Lee McEvilly.

But it stung City into a response as Neil Roberts picked out Dele Adebola's run and the striker bulldozed his way through advancing keeper Jon Kennedy for the second goal of his loan spell. That should have kick-started the home side into seizing control, and Ade-bola briefly threatened to rattle Accrington with a thundering run into the box but his shot was turned away by Kennedy.

The second half, though, began just like the first with Accrington again looking quicker to the ball and more interested. City were giving away possession cheaply and when Dean Windass, operating in a deeper midfield role, had a pass picked off by Paul Mullin, he set up Craney for a drive straight at Paul Henderson.

Then McEvilly, a Northern Ire-land international when at Roch-dale, turned cleverly on the edge of the box to shoot on the turn, the keeper pushing it behind.

Todd was growing more frustrated and subbed Lee Crooks after the midfielder had collected his fifth yellow card for a hard but fair-looking tackle on Peter Cavan-agh. On came Tom Penford, who lightened the mood with a crisp volley straight down Kennedy's throat.

A long shot from Windass was tipped over by the keeper, although referee Nigel Miller gave a goal kick, and Kennedy smothered a close-range header from Roberts after a Flynn slip.

But with 20 minutes to go, City slackened off again and allowed Accrington to regain their earlier control. Blue shirts started to push forward at will, particularly 22-year-old Craney, who looks a Football League player in the making. He drifted just behind target man Mullin and he was inches away after 78 minutes.

Todd swapped Adebola for Michael Symes, despite calls from the fans for Danny Forrest to be given his first outing. But the game seemed to be drifting to an extra half-hour.

Then Mullin barged his way past Jason Gavin to hit the byline and pulled it back into the six-yard box. Craney was there to help it on to McEvilly, who shot home off the hand of Henderson.