BRADFORD CITY AFC

The Bantams did all the hard work in the first period, wracking up five goals before the interval to leave them with a straight-forward second period to negotiate.

Nahki Wells got the Bantams off to the perfect start when he rounded Wimbledon 'keeper Seb Brown to fire City into the lead with less than three minutes gone. 

Dons defender Curtis Haynes-Brown would then double his side's misery nine minutes later when he steered a James Meredith cross into his own goal. 

Haynes-Brown, who only signed for Wimbledon on loan from Yeovil Town on Thursday, would end up finishing the game on a stretcher due to a unfortunate neck injury picked up in the second period.

With City in full control thanks to their quick-fire start, Andrew Davies managed to extend the lead further in slightly unusual circumstances just past the half hour mark when his free-kick from all of 45 yards - intended as a cross into the box - was missed by Brown before bouncing into the unguarded goal.

Wimbledon briefly brought a halt their miserable time of things in the game when Byron Harrison stole in to head home Louis Harris' cross to reduce their arrears, but Rory McArdle quickly swooped to restore City's three goal advantage less than a minute later.

The Bantams defender was on hand to turn the ball in from close range for his first goal in City colours after James Hanson had headed Gary Jones' corner down into the six yard box.

Right on the stroke of half-time City grabbed their fifth of the match, confirming their complete domination of proceedings, when Hanson went from provider to scorer as he stretched to reach Wells' cross and send a looping header past Brown.

The goal was Hanson's third in four matches at the start of the season and capped off a near-perfect half of football for Parkinson's men.

With the victory all but secured by half time, the second period, perhaps understandably, lacked the same tempo and drama of the opening half.

The main talking point of the events after the restart was in fact the nasty-looking injury to poor Haynes-Brown.

Kyel Reid did get himself on the end of a number of chances to increase City's lead further in the second half - with Brown denying him from a one-on-one situation from one opportunity in particular - but five proved more than enough to help the Bantams to a well-deserved victory.

90min: Partly due to Haynes-Brown's unfortunate head injury, there will be eleven minutes of time added on at the end of the game.

90min: Not for the first time this afternoon, Reid robs MacDonald of the ball to give him the opportunity to race for goal. This time only Brown is blocking his way to goal as Reid goes to stroke the ball past him. The City winger tries to place the ball between Brown's legs but the Dons shot-stopper just gets a touch to stop the Bantams from registering a sixth.

87min: SUB - Frankie Merrifield is brought on for Jolley for Wimbledon.

86min: Fine wing play gives Reid the time and space to fizz over a testing cross into Wimbledon's area. The ball eventually falls into the path of Thompson just inside the area but the attacker's rising effort goes over the bar.

80min: SUB - Alan Connell is introduced in place of Wells.

79min: Reid robs MacDonald of the ball just outside the area but after surging into the box, the winger's effort is slashed wide of Brown's near post.

76min: A deflected Jolley cross falls into Moore's path on the edge of City's area but the midfielder's looping effort drops over Duke's bar by a few inches.

74min: SUB - City bring on Will Atkinson and Garry Thompson for Hines and Doyle respectively.

73min: SUB - Wimbledon take off Fenlon and bring on Angus MacDonald.

73min: McArdle has to make diving headed-clearance by his far post to stop Jack Midson from cashing in on Jolley's teasing cross.

67min: Hines' drive from just outside the area is deflected narrowly past Brown's goal.

66min: SUB - After about five minutes of treatment, Haynes-Brown unfortunately needs to be taken off in a stretcher and neck-brace. He is replaced by fellow left back Warren Cummings.

61min: Haynes-Brown is down and needing treatment after appearing to bang his head while challenging Hines for a cross into Wimbledon's area.

60min: Springing forward after eventually clearing the corner that followed, Reid plays Hines into space deep in Wimbledon's territory with only Haynes-Brown denying him a clear run on goal. Hines turns inside of Haynes-Brown after initially beating the defender to the ball but his low angled drive is pushed out by Brown.

59min: Jolley sees his low drive from just outside the area deflected narrowly wide of Duke's far post.

57min: There's a brief break in play while Moore receives a spot of treatment after taking a whack to his face. After a minute or so, Moore is able to carry on, however.

50min: A rising shot from just outside the area by Moore is gathered by Duke in simple enough fashion.

46min: A Davies free-kick is knocked off to Nathan Doyle by Oliver but his first-time left-footed shot brings out a straight-forward save from Brown.

46min: The Bantams restart the match.

45+1min: Duke has to scramble across his goal to stop a Jolley cross from sneaking in via a slight deflection off Oliver.

45min: Haynes-Brown's long throw-in into the area eventually finds the boot of the lurking Balkestein but the defender's first-time effort is scuffed wide of the target.

40min: Duke floats a long free-kick into the area that skips off the wet surface and Brown has to fling himself across his goal to tip the ball around the post to stop the effort from sneaking in.

39min: Zavon Hines gets involved in a tangle with Haynes-Brown as the City winger looks to surge past the Dons defender from a wide position inside the area. The Bantams bench scream for a penalty as Hines appears to be tumbled over from behind by Haynes-Brown but play is waved on.

38min: Christian Jolley nears replies for Wimbledon once again but despite turning dangerously into space past Davies, he is denied by a smart stop from Duke.

Jim Fenlon is booked for catching Reid with a later tackle just inside Wimbledon's own half.30min:YELLOW CARD -

26min: Wells races onto a James Hanson flick forward but his looping half-volley on an angle from just inside the penalty area sails a yard or so over the bar.

25min: Luke Oliver heads narrowly over from a Gary Jones corner.

24min: While under pressure from Louis Harris, Wells still manages to get a shot away from a tight angle around six yards out. Brown is out quickly, however, and manages to smother the effort behind.

10min: Reid fizzes in a fierce effort from just outside the area that whistles past Brown's goal before clattering into the sponsor-boards behind.

7min: Up for a half-cleared Wimbledon free-kick, Pim Balkestein heads comfortably wide of Duke's far post with a looping header from Stacey Long's ball into the box.

5min: Wells nearly has a second when he drifts in to get a touch on an inswinging free-kick from Kyel Reid. The touch isn't the strongest, however, and Brown can block it out before gathering up the rebound.

3min: GOAL! Bradford City 1 AFC Wimbledon 0 - City make a dream start to the match when Nahki Wells races onto a long clearance forward from Matt Duke before dancing round Seb Brown and finishing neatly from a tight angle.

0min: AFC Wimbledon kick off the match.

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

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

Atkinson for Hines (74), Thompson for Doyle (74), Connell for Wells (80)

Bradford cautions

Bradford dismissals

AFC WIMBLEDON LINE UP
Brown, Harris, Balkestein, Mitchel-King, Haynes-Brown, Long, Jolley, S Moore, Fenlon, Harrison, Midson

Subs: Jaimez-Ruiz, Cummings, MacDonald, Kiernan, Merrifield, Strutton, Sweeney

Cummings for Haynes-Brown (66), MacDonald for Fenlon (73), Merrifield for Jolley (87)

Fenlon (30)

AFC Wimbledon dismissals