There. That wasn't difficult was it?

The crowd at Spotland must have wondered what all this fuss over cup-ties was about.

It may have been a case of tenth time lucky for Bradford City but there was no fortune about this stroll in the Dale.

From the moment that Dean Windass cleverly hooked in Richard Edghill's cross after seven minutes, there was only one team going through.

The goal may have been scored around the same time that Deano put City ahead in the corresponding Carling Cup opener against Notts County a year ago, but that was where the similarity ended.

Rochdale went into the match on a high after scoring four at Coca-Cola Football League 2 leaders Leyton Orient three days earlier.

And front pair Grant Holt and Rickie Lambert certainly gave it a go early on.

But City always looked a level above, right across the pitch.

Colin Todd made four changes from Saturday and all those who came in played their part.

Danny Cadamarteri had been waiting impatiently for his opportunity and, just like Ben Muirhead against Milton Keynes Dons, he seized it.

Some of the interplay between Windass and Cadamarteri was a joy to watch and far too slick for a home defence more used to the cumbersome, basic frontmen they see every week in the basement division.

And what can you say about Windass?

Todd is right to argue that City is no one-man team but they do possess a one-man scoring machine.

A top-quality hat-trick took Windass to seven goals already this term and we are still two games away from the end of August.

Marc Bridge-Wilkinson twice tested keeper Matt Gilks from free-kick moves before City doubled their lead six minutes before the break.

Bridge-Wilkinson's bending effort was tipped over for a corner and from it, Cadamarteri forced home from a couple of yards.

Getting off the mark in his first full start will do him the power of good - how Andy Cooke must wish for that sort of chance to fall his way.

Rochdale were really up against it now but still showed a bit of fight leading up to half-time and Russell Howarth capped a tidy display between the sticks by pushing away a dangerous downward header from left-back Alan Goodall.

But the hosts were growing frustrated and the crowd took it out on referee Carl Boyeson.

City had no complaints - even Windass, who was infamously sent off by his Hull compatriot on Boxing Day.

Holt revealed Rochdale's indiscipline when he was booked for moaning at not getting a corner, and a succession of offsides did nothing to improve their mood.

City meanwhile, were pushing forward at will, although the corner flag was in more danger than the goal from Lee Crooks pot-shot at the end of a spirited break from Ben Muirhead.

Rochdale enjoyed their best moment on the hour when newly-arrived substitute Blair Sturrock fizzed a low cross along the six-yard box and just beyond the sliding Lee Cartwright at the far post.

Then Goodall's charge in the box was halted by David Wetherall, who took a bang on the head for his troubles, and the resistance faded away.

It was 3-0 City and good night after 67 minutes. The goal was the pick of the bunch - a thumping cross from Bobby Petta to the near post where "you know who" roared in with a diving header past Gilks.

That was too much for Rochdale and when Petta turned Gary Jones inside out on the halfway line, the home skipper snapped and flicked out at the Dutchman. Referee Boyeson sent him packing before booking Petta for his angry reaction.

For the last 20 minutes it became a story of eleven men against ten boys and City attacked at will.

Owen Morrison was given his first run-out of the season and responded by laying on two goals.

A pin-point cross picked out Windass for his hat-trick and then another well-weighted pass into the path of Bridge-Wilkinson rounded off another flowing move.

Morrison, who had not even made the bench for the previous four matches, could have had one himself but a skidding drive flew straight at Gilks.

City had gone down a gear but there were still two more chances for Petta in the closing minutes.

It was that comfortable. In fact, the most anxious moment of the night was seeing if Wetherall was all right after his crunching block on Goodall.

Fingers are crossed tight whenever the skipper is down but thankfully it was nothing more than concussion.

With the result in the bag, his early departure was merely a precaution. "We're going to win the cup," chimed the large gathering of City fans at the end.

"That might be stretching it a bit - for now, City will happily make do with being in round 2.

TELEGRAPH & ARGUS 

ROCHDALE			BRADFORD CITY
Matthew Gilks	1	13	Russell Howarth
Jamie Clarke	18	23	Richard Edghill
Jon Boardman	6	16	Lewis Emanuel
Tony Gallimore	3	12	Lee Crooks
Alan Goodall	12	5	David Wetherall
Lee Cartwright	7	6	Mark Bower
Gary Jones	11	15	Ben Muirhead
Ernie Cooksey	4	8	Marc Bridge-Wilkinson
Tommy Jaszczun	16	19	Danny Cadamarteri
Rickie Lambert	17	10	Dean Windass
Grant Holt	9	17	Bobby Petta
	SUBS	SUBS
Danny Woodhall	28	9	Andy Cooke
Kevin Gibbins	24	22	Damion Stewart
Scott Warner	14	26	John Swift
Ben Kitchen	21	11	Owen Morrison
Blair Sturrock	19	4	Tom Kearney

MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee:	C Boyeson
Assistant Referee:	C A Brumwell
Assistant Referee:	R Tiffin
4th Official:	M A Astley

SUBSTITUTES
ROCHDALE	min		min	BRADFORD CITY
19 for 16	60		74	11 for 15
			75	22 for 5
			79	9 for 10

GOAL SCORERS
ROCHDALE	min		min	BRADFORD CITY
			7	Windass
			40	Cadamarteri
			67	Windass
			77	Windass
			82	Bridge-Wilkinson

DISCIPLINARY
ROCHDALE	min		min	BRADFORD CITY
Holt	51		73	Petta
Cartwright	55		83	Morrison
Jones	73