BRADFORD CITY AFC

Hanson was left unmarked at the far post to power home a Gary Jones corner to get City off the mark for the new campaign. 

Fleetwood, one of the campaign's pre-season favourites, had their moments in the match - striking the bar in the first half and finding the post in the second - but the praiseworthy character, endeavour and sheer will-to-win from City was there for all of the vocal home support to see.

After an largely evenly-matched first period, City came roaring out of the blocks to start the second period in dominate fashion.

Their forceful play after the restart was capped by Hanson's goal, and despite some late Fleetwood pressure, City hung on for a pleasing and hard-fought victory.

MATCH UPDATES:

FT: Bradford City 1 Fleetwood Town 0

90+3min: Nicholson curls a late free-kick from around 20 yards out narrowly wide of Duke's near post.

90+2min: A teasing Howell cross is eventually cleared by City after previously whizzing dangerously across the Bantams' box.

90min: There will be four minutes of time added on at the end of the match.

90min: Following a brief scramble in City's area, Damien Johnson clips a loose ball to the far post but luckily for City the cross is just too far out of Parkin's reach.

87min: SUB - Wells is taken off for Stephen Darby.

86min: Following some great wing play from Reid, Hanson eventually heads narrowly wide with a powerful header from the winger's cross.

81min: SUBS - Steven Gillespie and Alex Marrow replace Brown and Jamie McGuire respectively for Fleetwood.

78min: Using the space in front of him to good advantage, Reid surges forward deep into Fleetwood's territory before testing Davies with a stinging drive from the edge of the area. The Fleetwood shot-stopper can't keep hold of the strike but Reid's effort on the rebound from a similar distance on his weaker right foot sails horribly behind.

77min: SUB - Doyle is brought off for Will Atkinson.

73min: A decent opportunity comes Fleetwood's way when Nicholson plays Mangan into space behind City's back-line. The striker has to check his progress slightly due to the bounce of the ball, allowing Oliver and McArdle to recover their ground. In the end, while under pressure from City's defensive duo, Mangan can only fire in a strike from just inside the area straight at Duke.

73min: Shortly afterwards, however, Brown fires narrowly off target himself with an angled drive from just inside the area that whistles past Duke's near post.

72min: Jones sends a rising drive from around 20 yards out narrowly over Davies' bar.

70min: YELLOW CARD - Shaun Beeley is booked for holding Wells back as City try to spring forward on a sharp attack.

69min: Big chance for Fleetwood! A teasing in-swinging cross from Howell is headed against the post by Mangan, who was positioned dangerously around six yards from goal.

66min: SUB - City replace Hines with Garry Thompson.

65min: McArdle plays Reid into a good deal of space down City's right flank with a teasing through pass. Reid uses the space to cut the ball across the box to the waiting Wells but the striker can't quite get hold of his effort and his scuffed strike from around twelve yards out is parried away by Davies.

62min: From the resulting throw-in, Parkin turns away from an attempted Wells tackle before moving dangerously into the area from a wide position. Parkin fizzes over a forceful cross-come-shot but Duke is in the right position to pluck it safely out of the night air.

61min: Barry Nicholson's teasing corner whizzes dangerously across City's six yard box, with Mawene and a City defender getting the merest of touches on the ball before it goes out for a throw-in at the far side.

57min: Oliver hits the side-netting with a downward header at the far post following a flighted Jones free-kick into the area.

56min: SUB - Andrew Mangan is brought on for David Ball by the visitors.

47min: City clip the bar! Howell's attempted clearance is hit straight back into the mix by Hines, who's thumping cross-come-shot deflects up off Wells before striking the corner of Fleetwood's goal-frame.

46min: The Bantams restart the match.

45min: There will be one minute of time added on at the end of the first period.

43min: YELLOW CARD - Junior Brown is booked for a fierce tackle on Rory McArdle about ten yards inside Fleetwood's own half.

39min: Reid tries to play Nahki Wells in behind Fleetwood's defence but the pass is just too far in front of the Bermudian striker and Davies comes to the edge of his own area to gather.

33min: A half-cleared Fleetwood free-kick falls to Parkin just inside City's area but his snap shot for goal from an angle lacks the power to overly-trouble Duke, who gathers comfortably.

26min: Massive let off for City. Jon Parkin plays his strike partner David Ball in behind City's defence with only shot-stopper Matt Duke to beat. Ball shapes up to curl an effort into the top corner but his strike from inside the area rattles against the underside of the bar before a grateful Duke can gather up the rebound.

22min: Fleetwood win a free-kick in a dangerous position right on the very edge of City's box. Howell tries to sneak an effort under City's wall but they stand strong and the shot is still blocked away.

20min: Luke Oliver heads over from Gary Jones' flighted cross into the box from the free-kick that follows.

19min: YELLOW CARD - Howell is booked for taking the legs of Hines out on City's right flank about 30 yards from goal.

18min: A combination of Davies and Dean Howell manage to block out James Hanson's forceful header for goal from the resulting corner.

18min: Kyel Reid sets off on a surging run, beating at least three Fleetwood players on his way. The winger eventually drives into the area but his angled drive is blocked behind via the diving frame of Fleetwood defender Shaun Beeley.

6min: Scott Davies has to race out of his area to boot clear and just beat Zavon Hines to a searching forward pass from Luke Oliver.

0min: Fleetwood kick off the match. City will attack towards the T.L Dallas Stand end in the first period.

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BRADFORD LINE UP
Duke, McArdle, Meredith, Davies, Oliver, Hines, Doyle, G Jones, Reid, Hanson, Wells

Subs: McLaughlin, Darby, Hannah, Thompson, Atkinson, McHugh, Connell

Bradford changes:
Thompson for Hines (66), Atkinson for Doyle (77), Darby for Wells (87)

Bradford cautions:

Bradford dismissals:

Davies, Beeley, Howell, McNulty, Parkin, Nicholson, Brown, McGuire, Johnson, Ball, Mawene

Subs:Maxwell, Fowler, Goodall, Mangan, McLaughlin, Gillespie, Marrow

Fleetwood changes:
Mangan for Ball (56), Gillespie for Brown (81), Marrow for McGuire (81)

Fleetwood cautions:
Howell (19), Brown (43), Beeley (70)

Fleetwood dismissals: