FA Women's National League Northern Premier Division: Middlesbrough Women FC 8 Bradford City Women 1

OFFICIAL confirmation of relegation is creeping closer for Bradford City Women after they suffered yet another loss.

Middlesbrough WFC were their hosts at the weekend and they took revenge for last season's 9-2 hammering by crushing City 8-1 on Sunday.

Boro started brightly, and were a goal up after only two minutes as a speculative shot from Scarr squirmed under City keeper Aimee Routledge.

The home side kept up the pressure and hit the bar two minutes later.

On 25 minutes a through ball found Manders at the far post and she confidently volleyed in from close range.

Things got worse for City when they failed to clear a corner and Foster headed in to send Middlesbrough 3-0 up at the break.

Both sides made double substitutions, but it was Middlesbrough's changes that had the most impact.

Middlesbrough could have been down to 10 players though on 48 minutes, as keeper Wareham rushed out and flattened substitute Falone Sumaili on the edge of the box.

The referee showed a yellow card and Zoe Roberts saw her free kick saved by the keeper.

Boro put the game to bed shortly after racking up four goals in five minutes.

In the 53rd minute Manders grabbed her second, and moments later Hutchinson hit a 30-yard effort that Routledge was helpless to keep out.

Two minutes later Scarr concluded her brace, making it six for Boro's, followed by a Dodds goal which took it to 7-0 with just over 30 minutes to play.

Bradford continued to battle and on 68 minutes Sumaili played a delightful through ball to find Harriet Jakeman at the far post who slid in to give City a consolation goal.

Middlesbrough completed the scoring on the 88th minute mark as a mix up in the Bradford defence presented Marshall with an easy finish at the back post.

Manager Steve Winterburn was left frustrated by this latest defeat, but still had time to recognise his players’ attitude.

He said: “It’s becoming a bit like ground hog day as whatever we try and as hard as we work it’s the same old outcome.

"But on a positive the players spirits are the one thing that’s keeping me going.”

City face a tough March with five games in four weeks, starting with a trip to Guiseley on March 5.

Bradford City Line-up: Routledge, Roberts, Clark, Edwards, Parrish, Donnan (Ramsauer, 60), Sales, Moulden (Cooper, 46), Jakeman, Norde, Wright (Sumaili, 46).