Bradford City's Under-18s well beaten by Huddersfield

The Terriers raced into a four-goal lead within an hour, which was enough to see off the young Bantams at Canalside.

The hosts drew first blood in the opening 26 seconds of the contest when a mistake in the City defence was capitalised on and finished off by Sonny Whittingham from just inside the 18-yard box.

Huddersfield doubled their lead a few minutes later after Ernaldo Krasniqi’s long-range effort looped over Bantams goalkeeper Tom Donaghy.

The Terriers added a third before half-time when Robson Shipley’s left-footed effort snuck into the bottom corner, putting the hosts in cruise control heading into the interval.

City’s West Yorkshire neighbours were awarded a penalty just shy of the hour mark, which was converted by Krasniqi to make it four.

It was the Bantams’ turn to then be given a spot-kick moments later. Dylan Youmbi stepped up to take it and made no mistake from 12 yards.

The visitors pulled another goal back when the ball fell to Olivier Sukiennicki, whose effort from the edge of the penalty area found the bottom corner.

Despite City’s best attempts to produce a late comeback, the Terriers were able to maintain their lead and gain all three points, moving themselves six points clear of the rock-bottom Bantams.

City are now four points adrift of second-bottom Mansfield, who have 10 points.

CITY: Tom Donaghy, Harvey Rowe, George Thewlis, Sam Bentley, Oliver Norman, Olivier Sukiennicki, Charlie Wood (captain), Bobby Pointon (Leke Ajibode 80’), Dylan Youmbi (Tanaka Maumbe 70’), Cole Roberts, Connor Morris. SUBS (not used): Luke Harrop, Ian Kamga, Ali Dalghous.

HUDDERSFIELD: Michael Roxburgh, Jeremy Stewart (Michael Stone 62’), Luke Daley (Fopefoluwa Deru 45’), David Adewoju, Josh Okpolokpo (captain), Brodie Spencer, Donay O’Brien-Brady, Ernaldo Krasniqi, Conor Falls, Sonny Whittingham (Dylan Helliwell 62’), Robson Shipley (Darnell Baxter-Alleyne 83’). SUBS (not used): Andre Edionhon.

BY SAM WRIGHT