BRADFORD CITY AFC

Jutkiewicz opened the scoring for Burnley in the first half before a fine free-kick from sub Taylor netted the hosts a second after the restart.

Despite the loss, City had opportunities to score themselves during the contest, including Tony McMahon hitting the bar with a free-kick and James Hanson seeing a header cleared off the line in the same passage of play.

Hanson also went close in the first period after being picked out by Billy Clarke.

The game, which also acted as Michael Duff's testimonial, gave City the chance to give Stephen Darby his first taste of football this pre-season. 

Darby started the game in his usual right back slot before being substituted just before the hour mark.

New signing Paul Anderson traveled with the squad and took part in the warm-up, although he didn't feature in the match.

In the game itself, George Boyd's free-kick from outside the area was charged down after only four minutes, with right back Tendayi Darikwa picking up the loose ball in a wide position. Burnley's new signing from Chesterfield crossed for fellow summer recruit Jelle Vessen, who flicked a header over the bar.

Three minutes later, Michael Kightly picked up a long kick forward by Tom Heaton before moving into shooting space inside the box. His low left-footed angled drive was on target but Ben Williams held onto the ball at the second attempt.

City's first opening of the game came shortly afterwards, however, when Hanson sent a glancing header wide from Billy Knott's cross.

Hanson was nearly involved again minutes later when Vessen's attempted back-pass to Heaton looked to be dropping short. With Hanson interested, the striker tried to reach the pass before Heaton but the ball just skipped away from him off the surface and the danger was gone.

With City seemingly enjoying a good period in the contest at this stage, Duff then had to send the ball behind for a corner from Josh Morris' goal-bound header following Christopher Routis' hanging ball into the box.

The City corner directly afterwards came to nothing but the one afterwards seconds later saw David Jones block out Rory McArdle's header for goal from Tony McMahon's set-piece delivery.

Burnley showed a signal of their intent soon after though when Jutkiewicz headed Scott Arfield's long ball into the box down into the path of Vessen. 

The Belgian forward fired for goal with a half-volley from the edge of the box but the effort was pushed behind by Williams for a corner. City then had to kick clear Michael Keane's downward header from the resulting set-piece.

Vossen was in the action again midway with the opening period when George Boyd's teasing cross found him in space. The striker could only slice an air-kick wide of goal, however, while well placed inside the box.

His strike-partner Jutkiewicz was troubling City in Burnley's next attack when a searching cross from Darikwa found the former Middlesbrough man in the middle. His downward header from around eight yards out was kept out by Williams before Darby could smash the loose ball clear.

Just past the half hour mark, Jutkiewicz nearly had a sight of goal again when Boyd's through-ball played him into space. The recovering Darby managed to block the striker's path to goal, however, with a recovery tackle.

Kightly had the ball back into the mix was a low cross just seconds later but Williams was eventually able to gather.

After twice going close then, City weren't able to escape punishment from Jutkiewicz a third time unfortunately as the forward put Burnley in the lead shortly afterwards.

Kightly's low cross towards the near post found the forward, who held off the advances of McArdle before firing past Williams and into the far bottom corner with an angled drive.

The Bantams nearly responded less than ninety seconds later but Hanson fired agonisingly wide of Heaton's near post with a low stab at goal after being found in the area by a neat pass from Billy Clarke.

As the rain began to lash down, City then went close again a minute or so later when McMahon's looping volley from outside the box sailed not too far away from a diving Heaton's near post.

Not for the first time during the opening period though, the threatening Jutkiewicz was involved again roughly five minutes before the break when Boyd robbed Morris of the ball. Jutkiewicz fired for goal from the edge of the box but the low drive was held by Williams.

City had another chance for an equaliser in forty-first minute, however, when Knott was felled just outside the box. McMahon took responsibility for the resulting free-kick, and he proceeded to rattle Heaton's crossbar with a fine effort. 

Knott kept the danger alive with a floating cross towards the back post but Hanson's close range header was kicked off the goal-line by Keane.

As an entertaining first period came to a close, Boyd and Jutkiewicz nearly linked up once more but the former's low cross along the six yard box was just out of reach of the sliding Burnley striker.

City had a new 'keeper in goal for the second period, with Jussi Jaaskelainen replacing Williams during the interval.

Jaaskelainen had his first meaningful touch of the half roughly three minutes in when Darikwa's searching cross picked out the lurking Jutkiewicz. The forward's diving header was on target but City's Finnish shot-stopper was able to repel the effort with a low block.

After going close from a free-kick in the first half, McMahon was at it again at the start of the second period, this time Heaton having to tip over his set-piece delivery from around twenty-five yards out.

Routis' cross into the area a minute or so later gave City another glimpse of goal but Morris and James Meredith both saw efforts inside the box blocked.

In the fifty-seventh minute, Darby was substituted and replaced by Gary Liddle. Hanson, who would see a shot from the edge of the box blocked by Keane shortly afterwards, took over the armband.

The introduction of Liddle also meant McMahon moved from his starting holding midfield role to right back.

Just before the hour mark, Boyd saw his drive from outside the box tipped over the bar by Jaaskelainen. At the same time, Darby was seen walking back to dressing room for a well-earned shower, the away crowd greeting him with a resounding rendition of his song 'Stephen Darby Baby'.

City tried to counter-attack from the resulting set-piece but Routis' touch from Billy Clarke's pass was a tad heavy and the Frenchman eventually could only send a deflected cross into the arms of Heaton.

Routis tested Heaton to a greater extent minutes later when the midfielder's forceful drive from outside the area had to claimed at the second attempt by the Burnley shot-stopper.

Shortly after a triple substitution for the hosts which saw Jutkiewicz, Vossen and Jones all replaced, Hanson fired over the bar from around the penalty spot with a fierce rising half-volley following Morris' cross into the box.

City's third change of the afternoon came in the seventieth minute when Mark Marshall replaced Knott.

Burnley doubled their lead in the seventy-fourth minute thanks to a superb effort from a player only on the field for a couple of minutes.

Substitute Matt Taylor - once of Portsmouth and Bolton Wanderers - curled a delightful free-kick from around twenty yards out into the corner with one of his first few touches of the afternoon, beating his former team-mate Jaaskelainen at his near post in the process.

Shortly after Taylor's goal, City replaced Hanson and Billy Clarke in attack with Steven Davies and Luke James. Alan Sheehan then came on for James Meredith.

With just less than ten minutes of the contest to go, Boyd played second half sub Sam Vokes into space inside the box but the striker's low effort was seemingly tipped around the post by Jaaskelainen.

The match referee disagreed though, giving City a goal-kick instead - much to the bemusement of the Burnley players close by.

Man of the day Duff was then given a standing ovation by the Burnley crowd as he was swapped for Stephen Ward in the final few minutes of the friendly.

He ended the afternoon by addressing the crowd on the pitch post-match and thanking them for their support.

1. Ben Williams
2. Stephen Darby (c)
3. James Meredith
4. Josh Morris
5. Nathan Clarke
15. Tony McMahon
9. James Hanson
11. Billy Knott
14. Billy Clarke
18. Christopher Routis
19. Rory McArdle

12. Jussi Jaaskelainen

21. Alan Sheehan
10. Luke James

6. Greg Leigh
16 Luke Hendrie
8. Gary Liddle
7. Mark Marshall
17. Joel Grant
20. Dylan Mottley-Henry
23. Steven Davies

Jaaskelainen for Williams (46), Liddle for Darby (57), Marshall for Knott (70), Davies for Hanson (76), James for B Clarke (77), Sheehan for Meredith (79)