Walsall res 5 City res 2

While final scoreline may have looked as if Bradford City reserves were slaughtered at The Lamb ground in Tamworth, it flattered Walsall - whose final two goals came in the dying minutes.

In an end-to-end game, City lost Simon Ainge through injury in the 18th minute, to be replaced by Adrian Bellamy.

Walsall took the lead in the 23rd minute when Alex Nicholls rifled the ball home, and they nearly doubled it three minutes later when Troy Deeney's header bounced off the crossbar.

On the half hour, Brinsley Sheridan was unlucky for City when Luke Medley crossed and the midfielder just failed to make a perfect connection with just the keeper to beat.

Walsall made it 2-0 on 35 minutes when Paul Bowes put the ball past his own keeper, deflecting in Manny Smith's shot.

With half-time approaching, Saddlers' keeper Bertrand Bossu brought off a fine one-handed save to deny Medley, pulling off three consecutive stops as the ball cannoned about in a melee of players.

In time added on at the end of the first half, Troy Deeney placed the ball beyond Jamie Waite to give the home side a comfortable half-time lead.

City pulled a goal back five minutes after the break when Bossu brought down Medley, who stepped up to score from the penalty spot.

Waite pulled off good saved from Deeney and sub Andrew Bentley in the 70th minute before a final flurry saw Medley pull a goal back for City when he blasted the ball into the top corner from outside the area.

A brace in the last minute from Deeney completed the lopsided scoreline in the Saddlers' favour.

City reserves: Waite, Harban, Bartle, Mahamat, Bowes, Ainge (Bellamy 18), Sheridan, Penford, Medley, Joynes, Taylforth. Subs: Smith, Filler, Giffiths, Dean.