THE stage was set for a historic night at Valley Parade as Bradford City Women faced off against Leeds United, and the Bantams rose to the occasion, pulling off a superb 1-0 win.

The hosts were underdogs for last night's FA Women's National League Division One North clash, going into it third-bottom, while Leeds were riding high in second.

But a first half strike from Sophie Hawkins proved the difference, as City's Women made the most of their first game at Valley Parade since 2014.

The Bantams were given a warm welcome by the 540 fans in attendance, but both teams got off to shaky start.

Leeds tried to take an early half chance, with a shot from 30 yards out sailing over the crossbar.

Home keeper Hannah Richards made a few easy saves as Leeds tried to find the net, but City midfielder Hawkins started to look a threat with the runs she was making, a sign of things to come.

After half an hour of trying and failing to find the breakthrough, the Whites started to get frustrated, and the Bantams soon worked this to their advantage.

On 37 minutes, Hawkins made a fantastic run, driving past the defenders before firing home a shot off the post when one on one with the keeper.

The home fans went wild as the team embraced in celebration.

Leeds tried to put the pressure on before the break, but City held firm until then.

The Bantams were determined to keep their lead in the second half as Leeds continued their assault, taking shot after shot.

But the home defence and Richards were not fazed and continued to keep their visitors at bay.

City retaliated when Zoe Roberts took a late free kick just to the left of the penalty area. She sent it curving towards the goal, but it soared over the bar.

Leeds gritted their teeth and continued attacking, and with just minutes left, they took a short corner, which found its way back to the prolific Laura Bartup.

The striker smashed the ball towards the goal, but it rattled off the crossbar.

Though Leeds continued to press, that was as close as they got, as the Bantams held out for a famous victory.

As the final whistle blew, the crowd went wild and members of City’s under-23 side ran to their clubmates to congratulate them on their well-deserved win.

Bantams manager Chris Hames was ecstatic after the game, and praising his team, he said: “I’m so proud of them. Tonight was about proving ourselves, and about where we want to be in the league.

“The crowd have been outstanding tonight; it means a lot to us. Hopefully we’ve also given a little bit back, not just in terms of the result, but with the performance we put in today.”