City's disappointing start to their new League 2 campaign continued as they endured a bad night at the office against Southend United.

The Bantams could only manage to serve up a disjointed and frustrating performance in front of their own supporters as the visitors enjoyed a comfortable victory.

Peter Taylor's men seemed to be suffering the affects of their full blooded Carling Cup encounter during mid-week as their performance was nowhere near as polished as it was against Preston North End only days earlier.

Southend opened up the scoring inside the first quarter of the match through striker Barry Corr's close range effort which went in off the post.

The hard-working Shrimpers were good value for their lead and could have added further goals before half time.

Despite Taylor making all three substitutions at half time, Southend remained the more effective of the two sides and managed to double their advantage just before the hour mark when Anthony Grant beat Jon McLaughlin from distance.

The Bantams were given a life line towards the end of the match when Southend defender Sean Clohessy was given his marching orders for a second bookable offence, but try as they might, City couldn't take advantage.

How Taylor must be rueing the absence of Michael Flynn and Simon Ramsden at the moment.

The experienced duo could really be used right now by a Bantams squad which appears to lack that vital bit of experience and leadership on the field at present.

The Bantams boss had earlier made three changes to the side that started against Preston on Tuesday.

Lee Bullock, Lewis Hunt and James Hanson all returned to the starting line up with David Syers, Tom Adeyemi and Zesh Rehman dropping to the bench.

Bullock was also named as captain to become City's fourth skipper of the new season.

The visitors appeared to settle slightly quicker from the beginning, but it was actually the Bantams who enjoyed the first opening of the match.

Tom Doherty's lofted through ball beat Southend's offside trap and allowed Hanson a shot on goal. His angled shot beat Glenn Morris outstretched hand but also bobbled past the far post.

Southend's first opening of the match came just minutes later, but this time they took it.

City failed to properly clear their lines following Blair Sturrock's cross and Grant was allowed to head back into the danger zone.

The ball fell to Corr, who alarmingly was left free at the far post, and the striker showed good composure to beat a rooted McLaughlin via the inside of the post.

The goal seemed to give the Shrimpers a shot in the arm as they nearly doubled their lead shortly afterwards.

Sturrock sliding forward pass played team-mate Josh Simpson into space inside City's penalty area. The youngster's took aim but his drive flashed just past McLaughlin's far post.

At this stage, City were looking at sixes and sevens and Shrimpers defender Bilel Moshni nearly made them pay when he fired narrowly wide from close range following Ryan Hall's far post free-kick.

The Bantams were struggling to create any sort of pressure of Southend's defence as they continued to drift along in the fixture.

Hanson managed to cause a brief moments panic inside the visitors penalty area when he challenged Morris for a corner, but Omar Daley could only cross the rebound straight into the keeper's hands.

City were clearly in need of some inspiration as their laboured towards the interval and Taylor decided to act during the break by making a triple substitution for the second time in four home games.

Syers, Robbie Threlfall and Jake Speight were all thrown on for Hanson, Bullock and Louis Moult as the Bantams boss repeated his Nottingham Forest act.

Steve Williams took over the skipper's armband in Bullock's absence.

Luke Oliver headed just over from Doherty's free kick at the start of the second period, but Southend remained the more cohesive unit despite Taylor's tinkering.

The Shrimpers doubled their lead and City's troubles ten minutes after the restart to leave the Bantams deeply in a hole.

Corr headed Clohessy's hanging cross into the path of Grant, who fired a low shot past McLaughlin and into the bottom corner from around 20 yards out.

Things could have got even worse for City moments later but Corr narrowly headed Sturrock's flick on just past the near post.

City now knew they needed to act soon if they were to get anything from the match.

Speight saw a shot deflected just over the crossbar and Evans was denied by Morris from close range, but Southend remained composed.

The Bantams were given a boost in their quest for a way back into the match when Clohessy was penalised for clipping O'Brien's heels while the City man was in full flow.

Southend's right back was given his second yellow of the match to suddenly hand Taylor's side a one man advantage going into the final ten minutes or so of the match.

As City became more desperate in their search for goals, Oliver was throw into the attack.

Despite the giant defender's presence though, Southend would manage to comfortably hold on for their first league victory of the new season.

Evans missed one last chance for City when he fired over from only yards out after O'Brien's corner had been knocked down into his path to finish off a miserable day for the Bantams.