The game, which was played on the training pitches behind Vale Park, was the Bantams' first second-string match since the start of December.
The fixture also came just three days before the two sides meet at Vale Park in Sky Bet League 1.
Apprentices Sumaili Cissa and Daniel Devine netted for the Bantams, while Alan Sheehan, who played the first half, also got on the scoresheet for City with a header from a corner.
Fellow defender James King was given the full game in his first competitive match since damaging ankle ligaments against Burton's reserves back in September.
While Vale's starting line up contained a number of their first team squad members, such as defenders Remi Streete and Ryan Inniss, goalkeeper Chris Neal and attackers JJ Hooper and Sam Kelly, Sheehan, King and shot-stopper Joe Cracknell were the only senior pros in City's side.
Cissa opened the scoring for City in only the third minute when he drove in at the second attempt after Vale had failed to clear a cross from the left.
Vale were level just three minutes later, however, when former Bantams trialist Achille Campion slotted past Cracknell inside the box.
Vale winger Jason Banton then hit the bar for the hosts roughly ten minutes later after Kelly and Hooper had combined to find their team-mate in space.
Ten minutes before the break, Sheehan's brilliant free-kick from outside the box was pushed around the post by Neal.
From the resulting corner, Sheehan wasn't to be denied a second time as he rose highest to head home City's second.
Vale equalised once again within three minutes though, Kelly scoring probably the goal of the game when he ended a surging run forward with a fierce 25-yard strike that whistled into the bottom corner.
The Bantams took the lead for the third time in the match less than a minute after the restart for the second period.
A neat passing move saw Devine through with only Neal to beat and the young midfielder's shot just about managed to squirm over the line despite the 'keeper getting a half-block on the ball.
Later in the half, Vale hit the woodwork for the second time in the match through substitute Omar Haughton but Reece Webb-Foster fired into the side-netting with a decent chance for City at the other end.
City XI
1. Joe Cracknell
2. Kesi Omolokun
3. Alan Sheehan (c)
4. Kwame Boateng
5. James King
6. Alex Laird
7. Niah Payne
8. Daniel Devine
9. Reece Webb-Foster
10. Sumaili Cissa
11. Ellis Hudson
Substitutes:
12. Chandler Hallwood (GK)
14. Tom Windle
Substitutions:
Windle for Sheehan (46)