BRADFORD CITY AFC

A City XI defeated their counterparts from Burnley in a behind-closed-doors friendly fixture at the Coral Windows Stadium this Tuesday afternoon.

Goals from Caleb Folan, apprentice midfielder Jack Stockdill and Raffaele De Vita helped to secure a 3-1 win for the Bantams over a youthful Clarets outfit.

Along with Folan and De Vita, Connor Ripley, Andy Gray, Carl McHugh, Mark Yeates, Jason Kennedy, Matt Taylor and Luke Oliver all started as well.

Fresh from his first league appearance for the club as a late substitute at Oldham Athletic last Sunday, young striker Oliver McBurnie also begin the friendly.

The Bantams lined up in a 3-4-1-2 formation at the start, with De Vita and Yeates as the wing backs and Gray playing just behind strike partners Folan and McBurnie.

The only goal of the first period came when Folan headed home from a Stockdill cross in the 13th minute.

City changed to a 4-4-2 set-up at the start of the second half as apprentice James King came on at right back to replace McBurnie.

As a result of the half time substitution, Yeates and De Vita pushed on to become conventional wingers and Gray moved slightly further forward to play alongside Folan in attack.  

Burnley were awarded a spot-kick just over seven minutes into the second period when Jason Gilchrist was brought down by Ripley in the box as the striker looked to round the Bantams 'keeper.

Gilchrist slotted home the resulting penalty himself to bring the visitors level.

City were back in front just eleven minutes later, however, when Stockdill's low drive from around 25 yards out found the bottom corner.

With just under twenty minutes to go, Folan was replaced by apprentice striker Joe Brennan.

The scoring was then completed for the afternoon late on when Gray and Yeates combined for the former to tee up De Vita, who rifled home from the edge of the area.



City XI team:
Ripley, Taylor, Oliver, McHugh, De Vita, Kennedy, Stockdill, Yeates, Gray, McBurnie (King 46), Folan (Brennan 73)