ACCRINGTON 0 CITY 2

City finished off their friendly programme with an excellent 2-0 victory at Accrington.

That made it six wins from seven in pre-season, and with higher-tier opposition beaten in three of those games, confidence is high ahead of the League Two opener at Exeter this coming Saturday.

The visitors made a blistering start and virtually put the game to bed in the first 20 minutes.

They opened the scoring after four minutes through some individual Andy Cook brilliance, before he headed home to make it two soon after.

Lee Angol, Callum Cooke and Levi Sutton all had presentable chances before the interval, as a shellshocked Accrington looked to have no answer to the City onslaught.

The hosts improved after the break, forcing substitute keeper Richard O’Donnell into two decent saves, but never fully recovered from that early double blow.

It was a sensational strike from Cook to put City in front, and showed he is more than just a target man.

He won the ball around 40 yards out and drove towards goal, taking it past a couple of defenders, before seeing his left-footed effort take a slight deflection past James Trafford and into the net.

Sam Hornby was called into action a couple of times early on, but neither shot was a serious test for the stopper.

The Bantams should have made it two just before the 15-minute mark.

A great one-two between big Cook and little Cooke saw the latter put through.

He unselfishly squared the ball for Angol, who took the ball down, set himself, before drilling it inches wide.

Angol nearly turned provider moments later, getting in down the right and playing a low ball across to Cook, whose first time strike was well saved down low by Trafford.

Sutton then won the ball back on the edge of the box, and that allowed Alex Gilliead to clip a teasing cross in, which Angol flicked just wide.

Angol was unlucky not to win a penalty after seemingly being clipped by Ross Sykes near the byline.

Derek Adams was furious not to get the decision, but he was all smiles moments later.

Cooke had a long-range effort deflected out for a corner, and from the resulting set-piece, which the midfielder took himself, Cook bulleted a header past Trafford to double City’s lead.

A stunned Accrington headed a half chance on to the roof of the net, but City soon hit back, with Angol barging through and firing a fierce effort just wide.

Good work by Gilliead and Cook almost put Sutton in, but a good sliding tackle prevented the midfielder from having a free shot on goal from the edge of the area.

Angol crashed a shot just wide from Elliot Watt’s pass, as City ended the half as they started it, completely on top.

City came out of the traps quickly after the break too.

Cooke played a great ball through to Cook, before the latter laid it off to Angol, who swept his effort just wide.

Accrington had a half an appeal for a penalty when Cameron Burgess went over in the box after a set-piece.

But the referee wasn’t buying it, and the centre-half was booked moments later for a crude foul on Gilliead.

Accrington had a better shout for a penalty when Colby Bishop appeared to be clipped by Niall Canavan as he crossed the ball in, but it wasn’t given, with that move ending with an acrobatic effort from Dion Charles being deflected over.

Gilliead broke away after some Accrington pressure, and City’s options looked promising, but he was floored by Joe Pritchard, who was booked.

Accrington were coming into the game, and Charles would have felt he could have done better when he headed John O’Sullivan’s teasing ball in off target.

His strike partner Bishop then planted a header just over the bar from Sean McConville’s corner, as Stanley looked to hit back late on.

Charles and Bishop were starting to combine nicely, and the former set up the latter in the box, but the striker’s drive was well saved by the feet of O’Donnell.

A raft of substitutions disrupted the flow of the game, with proceedings hitting a bit of a lull going into the final 10 minutes.

But there was one good chance in the middle of all that, as substitute Joel Mumbongo saw his low effort well turned behind by O’Donnell.

The game completely petered out after that, as City got yet another win under their belt.

ACCRINGTON: Trafford, Nottingham, Burgess (Trialist A 78), Butcher (Morgan 72), Sykes (Procter 78), Pell (Leigh 72), O’Sullivan, Charles (Mumbongo 72), Bishop, Pritchard, McConville (Rodgers 78).

CITY: Hornby (O’Donnell 46), Threlkeld, O’Connor, Canavan (Kelleher 82), Foulds, Watt (Crankshaw 72), Sutton, Gilliead (Eisa 82), Cooke (Evans 82), Angol (Vernam 72), Cook (Scales 86).