Bradford City aiming to emulate past League Cup runs

They ended up with a tough away draw at Nottingham Forest, whose brilliant season culminated in promotion to the Premier League.

But they were not firing on all cylinders at the start of the campaign, and were given a real scare by City.

Callum Cooke netted a fine free-kick for the dominant Bantams, but, in the end, a quickfire double from Joao Carvalho saw Forest sneak through 2-1.

So that League Cup run was virtually over before it began, but what about a few seasons in the competition where City had a bit more success?

2012/13 (FINAL)

The daddy of them all, as the Bantams shocked England football by making it all the way to Wembley.

City edged out Notts County in round one, with James Hanson scoring the only goal of the game in extra-time.

Two late goals from Kyel Reid and Garry Thompson turned an almost certain 1-0 defeat to Watford into a 2-1 victory later that month.

And then Nahki Wells rescued the Bantams with two strikes in the last seven minutes to take Burton to extra-time in round three, with Stephen Darby’s 115th minute-winner, his only career goal, seeing them through.

On to the big Premier League boys now, with Matt Duke’s heroics helping City squeeze past Wigan on penalties after a goalless draw.

Arsenal were almost vanquished in normal time in the last-eight by Thompson’s volley, but a late equaliser sent the game to extra time and then penalties, with the Gunners missing three to bow out.

Garry Thompson (left) celebrates after scoring in the quarter-final against Arsenal. Picture: PA.

A sensational semi-final first leg at Valley Parade saw Wells, Rory McArdle and Carl McHugh net in a 3-1 win, with Hanson’s goal in the return fixture at Villa Park seeing City edge through 4-3 on aggregate.

The final proved a bridge too far, as City were demolished by Swansea 5-0 and had Duke sent off, but what a run it had been.

2014/15 (ROUND THREE)

Barring that incredible run the final, this is still the furthest the Bantams have gone in the last 20 years.

And while a rare Aaron McLean goal securing a 1-0 win at Morecambe in round one was nothing to write home about, City made waves two weeks later at Valley Parade against Leeds.

Having lost 3-2 to their Elland Road rivals in the same competition three years earlier, the Bantams were out for revenge, but looked to have been thwarted when Matt Smith opened the scoring for the visitors with just eight minutes to go, despite an earlier red card for their midfielder Luke Murphy.

But the 10-men could not hold out, and after Billy Knott thundered home an 84th minute equaliser, Hanson headed in the winner moments later.

Billy Knott thumps home the equaliser against Leeds. Picture: Tom Smith.

A League Cup memory for the ages for City, but they were knocked out by MK Dons in the next round.

1988/89 (QUARTER FINAL)

City were in the old Division Two at the time, so a deeper run in the competition could be expected.

It wasn’t easy though, and the Bantams needed extra-time to knock out Reading over two legs in round two.

A 1-1 home draw against Scunthorpe in round three left City vulnerable, but they squeezed through with a 1-0 win in the away replay.

But the Bantams made everyone sit up and take notice when they beat star-studded Everton, who had the likes of Neville Southall, Kevin Ratcliffe, Trevor Steven, Tony Cottee and former City man Stuart McCall in their starting line-up, 3-1 in round four.

Legendary Everton goalkeeper Neville Southall conceded three to City in a famous League Cup final tie in 1988. Picture: PA.

That put Terry Dolan’s side into a hugely winnable quarter-final against Division Three side Bristol City, but they blew their big chance, losing 1-0.

Dolan was sacked two weeks later.

1987/88 (QUARTER FINAL)

That was not Dolan’s only experience of taking the Bantams to the last-eight of the League Cup, as he had done so just 12 months earlier too.

This was City’s best league season in nearly 70 years, finishing fourth in Division Two, before missing out on promotion via this new-fangled invention called the play-offs.

In the cup, they demolished Fulham in the second round over two legs, including a 5-1 win at Craven Cottage.

A 1-0 win at Charlton followed, before Reading were dispatched after a replay.

That put the Bantams into the last-eight, but they came up short against Luton, losing 2-0.

Terry Dolan (back, centre) guided the Bantams to two consecutive League Cup quarter-finals.

The Hatters won the trophy that year, their only major domestic honour yet.

1964/65 (QUARTER FINAL)

City had reached round four in 1969/70, a rare decent run from them in competition, including a fine win over Division One Sunderland.

But they did even better five years earlier.

With Yorkshire rivals York dispatched in round one, City racked up three successive away wins.

Exeter were beaten 5-3 in a thriller, the Bantams edged out Doncaster 3-2, before beating Charlton 1-0 to reach the last-eight.

Alas, the might of Aston Villa proved too much for City in the quarter-finals, and they were dismantled 7-1.

Gordon Lee (centre, front row) went on to become an established top-flight manager, and as a player, he was in the Villa side that thumped the Bantams in the League Cup quarter-final in 1965.