WREXHAM 1 CITY 1

(City won 4-3 on penalties)

KEEP calm and take it to penalties used to be the motto when Phil Parkinson led City on their magical mystery tour all the way to Wembley.

A decade on from that League Cup adventure the Bantams beat Parkinson at his own game with a second successive shoot-out success.

In League Two’s land of Hollywood, patched-up City served up a cliff-hanger of an ending to see off Wrexham in the same way they had beaten Accrington three weeks earlier.

Now they are through to the third round for the first time since Parkinson took them there with a win over Leeds in 2014. Potential big fish await in tomorrow night’s draw.

Hughes had warned that City had finished a bit beaten up at the weekend. The starting 11 for their visit to Wrexham in over 15 years reflected that with four changes - and no Andy Cook or Kevin McDonald in the squad.

It was the first time that the striker had not been involved at all since the Football League Trophy defeat at Burton last October.

Cook did not travel - nor was he at the awards ceremony in Manchester where he was announced as the PFA players’ player of the year for League Two.

Emmanuel Osadebe was handed a first start of the season and there was a recall for skipper Richie Smallwood, after being benched against Crewe.

Brad Halliday and Liam Ridehalgh were also back in at wing-backs and newest recruit Adam Wilson made the nine-man bench after being registered just in time.

Jamie Walker lined up alongside Tyler Smith up front in a 5-1-2-2 set-up - and the strike duo gained an instant reward.

The contest was only a couple of minutes in when Walker was barged over by Aaron Hayden in the box. With no Cook, Smith was on penalty duty and fired it firmly past Mark Howard into the bottom corner.

Smith was almost in again as he chased Matty Platt’s long pass and forced a save from Howard with a cross-shot.

Luke Young and Andy Cannon fizzed shots into the empty building site behind City’s goal as the home side looked to respond.

Liam Ridehalgh then got in a tangle but Jake Bickerstaff’s effort flashed past the far post.

The locals were getting restless as the black shirts continued to frustrate the home side. Referee Ben Speedie came in for plenty of stick for allowing City to slow things down.

Wrexham cranked it up as half-time approached and Harry Lewis palmed away a dangerous cross from Ryan Barnett.

Ben Tozer’s header from the corner took a slight deflection onto the top of the bar - and then Lewis pulled off a crucial block with his legs to deny Sam Dalby.

Bickerstaff dragged another effort past the post before City had a sniff as Hayden’s back-header fell short. Smith latched onto it but Howard was out sharpish to smother his attempted lob.

The frustrated boos from some of the home crowd emphasised the job the visitors had done up to that point in neutralising Wrexham’s attacking threat.

Bobby Pointon was thrown on for the resumption for Alex Pattison, who had picked up a booking stopping a break at the end of the half.

Walker found Brad Halliday in the box but Howard beat away his effort from a tight angle.

Wrexham were pushing more men forward in search of an equaliser but City had a real chance of a second just before the hour.

Pointon swept a pass towards the right corner flag where Walker nicked the ball off Jacob Mendy. He laid it back for the incoming Osadebe just inside the box but he could not keep his first-time attempt down and it narrowly cleared the bar.

Parkinson made a multi-sub to bring on top scorer Elliot Lee as well as former Wigan midfielder James McClean for his home debut.

But again, City came so close to doubling their advantage on the counter. Pointon’s pass split Wrexham open and Halliday galloped onto it but drove agonisingly past the far post.

Wrexham strengthened with Ollie Palmer’s arrival - and were level on 72 minutes as Will Boyle powered home a header from Young’s corner.

Hughes made further changes, bringing on Matt Derbyshire and Daniel Oyegoke, as Wrexham threatened and Lee half-volleyed wide from 20 yards.

Walker looked in a bit of discomfort and was replaced late on by Wilson.

Halliday then played through Derbyshire whose shot was deflected wide - and then he headed Pointon's resulting corner straight at Howard.

There was a panicky moment in the City penalty area as the ball scrambled around before James Jones headed into the grateful grasp of Lewis from close range.

Young hit the post with Wrexham’s first penalty in the shoot-out before City went four for four with Derbyshire, Smallwood, Wilson and Halliday all hitting the target.

But Oyegoke missed the opportunity to seal it when Howard beat out his fifth penalty.

Wrexham’s relief, though, proved short-lived as Lewis followed suit to save from Jones and spark more City celebrations.