BRADFORD CITY AFC

Vale did most of the damage in the first period, with JJ Hooper and Anton Forrester (2) netting before the break.

The Bantams had a greater say on proceedings after the interval but Vale substitute Nathan Ferguson completed the scoring for the visitors fifteen minutes from the end.

Pros Rouven Sattelmaier, Daniel Devine, James King, Reece Webb-Foster and Ellis Hudson were on show for City at a blustery Rawdon Meadows. The rest of the Bantams' starting XI was made up of apprentices. 

For Vale, they included seven players who were named in their match-day eighteen for the first team fixture between the two sides on the opening day of the League One season back in August.

Trialists Chris Eagles and Tom Hitchcock - both players with plenty of experience playing EFL football - were also involved for the Valiants during the game.

It was actually Eagles who played a role in the visitors' first goal of the afternoon after just seven minutes.

The former Manchester United and Burnley winger intercepted the ball outside City's area before driving forward into space inside the box and squaring for Hooper to tap home from close range.

Eagles and Hooper combined again minutes later, but this time the attack ended with team-mate Quentin Pereira firing narrowly wide from just inside the box.

Vale midfielder Paulo Tavares then saw a shot from distance held by Sattelmaier shortly afterwards.

With a noticeable wind in their faces and up against strong opposition, City found it tough going for the most part in the first half.

The industrious Webb-Foster did at least force visiting 'keeper Harry Pickering into a decent save low to his left with an effort direct from a free-kick twenty minutes in.

Vale had their second of the match later in the half when Eagles crossed back into the box after his corner delivery had been cleared and Forrester was on hand to volley home into the far bottom corner.

City nearly had a chance to pull a goal back when Webb-Foster found Hudson in space just inside the box but his rising drive was blocked behind via a diving tackle from Chris Mbamba.

At the other end, Sebastien Amoros fired narrowly over after Forrester had laid the ball back to him inside the area following a short corner.

Eagles had his third assist of the half seven minutes before the break when he set up Forrester to fire into an unguarded goal from close range after the winger had been picked out himself by Ferguson.

Dutch defender Calvin Mac-Intosh volleyed over from a Gezim Shalaj free-kick early into the second period but there were clear signs of improvement from City right from the beginning of the half.

Webb-Foster tested Pickering twice in quick succession with eye-catching efforts from in and around the box, while the Vale shot-stopper also had to come the edge of his area soon after to prevent City sub Casey Taglione from latching onto Sam Wright's lofted through-ball.

In response, Pereira produced a curling effort from the edge of the box that Sattelmaier did well to push away via an acrobatic one-handed save.

Sattelmaier required a more routine save minutes later to cling onto the ball after Shalaj had tried his luck from outside the box.

There was nothing the German 'keeper could do shortly after, however, as Ferguson netted Vale's fourth.

Ferguson was picked out by a forward pass from Shalaj and the Valiant sub finished well low into the bottom corner with an angled strike from just inside the box.

Despite the one-sided scoreline, City kept working until the very end, and it was good closing down from Webb-Foster that eventually teed up Devine for a shot into the side-netting roughly ten minutes from the end.

Webb-Foster continued right until the final whistle to try and obtain something out of the game for City but his curling effort from outside the box with literally the last kick of the match was held by Pickering.

1. Rouven Sattelmaier
2. Alex Laird
3. Harry Warren
4. Daniel Devine
5. James King (c)
6. Sam Wright
7. Niah Payne
8. Kwame Boateng
9. Reece Webb-Foster
10. Reece Powell
11. Ellis Hudson

12. George Sykes-Kenworthy (GK)
14. Casey Taglione

Taglione for Powell (59)