BRIGHOUSE 0 CITY 2

PRE-SEASON would not be pre-season without a friendly game of guess who.

The fans who witnessed City’s first trip to the Yorkshire Payments Stadium were given a full set to uncover as Gary Bowyer brought a team entirely consisting of trialists.

The line-up was a magical mystery tour of Wikipedia and Google as the names were read out.

Regan Booty and Chay Tilt from Saturday were joined by 11 others including Chris and Andy Taylor, who played for the Bantams boss at Blackpool, and journeyman winger Lionel Ainsworth.

Mason Fawns, who scored the second goal at Guiseley, was down to start but appeared to suffer a problem in the warm-up.

With Liverpool looming large, the regulars were all given the night off in front of another bumper local crowd.

Bowyer may have been doing a few favours for those selected in terms of putting them in the shop window. But it made for a strange spectacle for the supporters watching a collection of unfamiliar faces.

The thick grass hardly made it the easiest surface to play on either.

The first chance fell to the hosts, left-back Reece Kendall curling a free-kick narrowly over the bar.

To add the fun, trialist keeper Oliver Byrne was in the same matching all green as Vill Powell’s team. And Brighouse defender Rhys Jenkinson appeared for both sides, coming back on as a City sub after the break.

But there was no confusion about City’s opener after 20 minutes.

Myles Hippolyte, the former Dunfermline striker, was crudely hacked from behind in the box and got back up to slot home the penalty.

Londoner Hippolyte, who made his senior debut under David Hopkin at Livingston, almost had a second on the half hour as he flashed a header over from Nortei Nortey’s cross.

Bowyer looked surprisingly animated in front of the City dug-out, possibly trying to entertain himself as much as encourage those in claret and amber.

Tilt’s pace showed potential on the right wing, even on a spongy, sloping pitch, and he whipped in a cross that Hippolyte flicked past the near post.

Tilt should have put the team known as City further in front when played through but Jordan Porter did well to block the one-on-one – and then quickly denied him again after a loose back pass straight into the City man’s path.

Not a lot had been seen of Ainsworth, who could count Huddersfield and Halifax among his 14 previous clubs. When he did get a chance to dart into the Brighouse box, the ball bobbled up shin height and ran away from him.

Byrne had one uncomfortable moment in City’s goal when he was second best to a ball over the top but Kieran Ryan’s header looped wide.

Hippolyte put the Bantams 2-0 up 20 minutes from time after winning and converting another penalty. Racing on to Reece Flanagan’s pass, he proved too quick for centre-half Curt Harris and Porter sent him tumbling with a scything lunge.

His second successful spot-kick even sparked a youthful pitch invasion – on a school night too - and a green flare went off in the goal-mouth.

Tilt could have rivalled Hippolyte in the scoring stakes but another chance went begging for the winger when he failed to get a shot off after Booty’s first-time ball sent him away.

Luke Wall, who played in the Blackburn academy for Bowyer, came closer to a third with a well-worked cross-shot that skimmed the bar.

BRIGHOUSE: Porter, Wilkinson, Kendall, Hurtley, Harris, Brennan, Jenkinson, Trialist, Ryan, Stewart, Starkey.

CITY: Byrne, Nortey, Martin, Fox, A Taylor (Bani), C Taylor (Flanagan), Booty, Flanagan (Wall), Tilt, Hippolyte, Ainsworth (Jenkinson).

Meanwhile, City will be reunited with former boss Phil Parkinson and his coaching staff in a cup competition this season.

Gary Bowyer's side have been placed in Group F in the Northern Section of the EFL Trophy alongside Bolton Wanderers and Rochdale.

The Bantams will discover their remaining ‘invited opponent' - in the Group Stage - when the first-round draw takes place on Friday (12.30pm).

The 48 EFL sides in the draw have all been placed in predetermined groups, with the 16 remaining invitational clubs being allotted into these groups.

The eight invited clubs included in the Northern Area of the draw include: Aston Villa, Everton, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Meanwhile, City's clash against Liverpool on Sunday will have a musical flavour.

Tom Nowakowski, of Bradford band The Good Citizens, will perform prior to kick-off when Gary Bowyer's Bantams take on the Champions League winners at Valley Parade.

Proceeds from the game, set to be played in front of a sell-out crowd, will go to the Darby Rimmer MND Foundation.