An inexperienced and unfamiliar Bantams side drew 2-2 with near neighbours Bradford Park Avenue in their latest pre-season friendly this Wednesday evening.
In an entertaining friendly fixture at Horsfall Stadium, City moved into a two-goal lead at half time thanks to a double strike from one of their two trialist strikers on show.
After the break, Avenue fought back to restore parity with two goals of their own through substitute Chris Sharp and experienced midfielder Nicky Wroe.
The result means City and Avenue will share the Tom Banks Memorial Trophy for the year.
With Bantams boss Stuart McCall watching on from the main stand, assistant manager Kenny Black and Head of Youth/Academy coaching Steve Thornber led a City XI that included five trialists and three academy players.
First team goalkeepers Rouven Sattelmaier and Joe Cracknell were given a half each for the Bantams, while young pros Daniel Devine and Reece Webb-Foster also featured from the start.
Three of City's attacking trialists combined to go close early on but Avenue eventually managed to clear their lines when Devine's shot from the edge of the area was repelled.
One of the trialist who was starting the game up front got himself on the scoresheet after 19 minutes though.
He controlled a cross from the trialist starting the game on the left hand side of midfield before rounding Avenue stopper Ryan Jones and slotting home from close range.
Just before the half hour mark, the same trialist doubled his tally for the evening with a clinical finish from around ten yards out.
Once again it was the trialist playing on the left hand side who provided the assist, his cross breaking kindly before being dispatched to put City two goals to the good.
There was a chance for Webb-Foster shortly afterwards when two trialists combined well to carve an opening for the first year professional.
Unfortunately for Webb-Foster though, the young attacker, who spent a period on loan with Avenue last season, was denied by a goal line clearance from veteran defender Matt Hill.
There was a goal line clearance at the other end when a trialist playing the first half in central midfield did his defensive duties responsibly to deny Wroe, another former Football League regular in Park Avenue’s ranks.
Sattelmaier was impressive for City in the first half and made a notable save from Nicky Boshell, tipping his goal-bound effort onto the post to keep the hosts at bay when the score was still 0-0.
The German stopper was replaced between the sticks by Cracknell at half time, and he also made some eye-catching saves during a busy second period.
Cracknell, in particular, denied both Boshall and Jack Ryan in the opening stages after the restart.
The young 'keeper firstly blocked from Boshell when he was played in with a sight of goal, before denying Ryan with an outstanding reflex save to push the striker's header onto the bar minutes later.
Just before the hour mark, however, there was little Cracknell could do as Park Avenue pulled a goal back through Sharp.
The forward latched onto an incisive through ball to run clear fire the ball confidently past Cracknell and into the bottom corner.
Webb-Foster went close with a drive from just outside the box that was tipped around the post but Avenue were able to draw themselves level soon after.
Ryan rushed through on goal but was thwarted again by a one-on-one save from Cracknell. Wroe was first onto the loose ball though, drilling into the bottom corner with a low strike from just inside the box.
After Avenue's bright start to the second period, the flow of the match began to even itself out a little bit more as the half progressed.
Avenue's captain Luke Dean, one of two former Bantams on show for the hosts along with Leon Osborne, hit the outside of the post with a shot from the edge of the box.
At the other end, Webb-Foster was played into space but his ball across the six yard box narrowly missed one of City's trialist strikers in the middle.
Apprentice duo Niah Payne and Tom Windle were given cameos from the bench in the final quarter of the game but it was one of City's other scholars were could have scored late on.
Youth team centre half Sam Wright nearly netted for the Bantams in injury time when he stretched to reach a corner but his shot clipped the outside of the post from close range.
CITY XI
1. Rouven Sattelmaier, 2. Kwame Boateng, 3. TRIALIST, 4. Daniel Devine, 5. Alex Laird, 6. Sam Wright, 7. Reece Webb-Foster, 8. TRIALIST, 9. TRIALIST, 10. TRIALIST, 11. TRIALIST
Substitutes:
12. Joe Cracknell, 14. Niah Payne, 15. Reece Powell, 16. Harry Warren, 17. Tom Windle
Substitutions:
Cracknell for Sattelmaier (46), Payne for TRIALIST (73), Windle for Boateng (78)