Pre-season friendly
Guiseley AFC 2 (Boyes 52, 73)
Bradford City 1 (Drury 34)
Kick Off: 7:45pm
at Nethermoor
A largely unfamiliar City squad fell to a narrow defeat at the hands of local neighbours and Conference new-boys Guiseley in their latest pre-season friendly.
Nine trialists and five scholars were on show in total for Phil Parkinson's squad at a Nethermoor ground with an estimated thousand or so City fans inside.
One of the club's trialists on the night, Adam Drury, gave City the half time lead before a second period double from Guiseley's Adam Boyes ensured the hosts ended the game as the victors.
Young American striker Jon Lewis joined Luke James in attack for the beginning of the friendly while Mark Marshall was also handed his first start in City colours.
Marshall gave the large number of City fans in the ground an early glimpse of his ability by gliding past two Guiseley challenges and tearing down the left wing before sending over a cross that Jake Lawlor had to head away with the lurking Lewis just behind.
Moments later, James fired narrowly wide of Steven Drench's far post with a low angled drive before Lewis himself sent an effort from the edge of the box into the 'keeper's arms.
Despite City's earlier chances, proceedings were fairly even in the opening stages of the first half. Guiseley's Will Hatfield played a one-two with Gavin Rothery in the thirteenth minute but his shot from a tight angle inside the box was blocked by the head of the on-rushing Joe Cracknell.
City responded to that Guiseley opportunity shortly afterwards when James shot on the turn from the edge of the area after being picked out by Lewis. Drench held onto the effort though, while Cracknell also managed to cling onto Rothery's low drive from the edge of the box at the other end moments later.
Guiseley were lucky to keep eleven men on the pitch roughly twenty minutes in when Lions skipper Adam Lockwood deliberately dragged back James just outside the box as the City striker looked to race clear on goal.
A free-kick was awarded for the clear infringement but referee Adie Holmes took pity on Lockwood and didn't even brandish a yellow card. Make no mistake, however, Lockwood would almost certainly have walked if this was a league fixture.
Mark Fotheringham, who was captain for the night, saw his effort directly from the resulting free-kick pushed away by Drench.
Lockwood's fellow centre half, Rob Atkinson, was also lucky to avoid a place in the referee's notebook at the very least after twice catching James with late tackles in the second period.
City's next attempt on goal came from the boot of Sam Wright after yet more exciting wing play from Marshall down the Bantams' left wing. Wright's rising drive was on target but Drench was able to get two hands on the ball.
Rothery then had a couple of wayward effort for Guiseley later in the half before Drury opened the scoring for City in the thirty-fourth minute.
Lewis set the move in motion with a bright run from just outside the box before he was brought down by Rob Atkinson. Referee Holmes played the advantage, however, and Drury raced onto the loose ball before lashing past Drench from around twelve yards out.
City could have possibly doubled their lead shortly before the break but Luke Hendrie's low drive across the six yard box narrowly missed Lewis and James in the middle.
Following the restart, Guiseley opened up the second period with a header on target from Wayne Brooksby following Danny Lowe's cross into the box but the effort was easily held by Cracknell.
Guiseley levelled things up seven minutes into the half when interval substitute Danny Boshell's long ball over the top allowed Boyes to slip in between City centre halves Steve Saunders and Mark McAusland before slotting low past Cracknell from close range.
The goal was the first City had conceded in pre-season after three consecutive clean sheets previously.
Boyes could have doubled his goals tally for the night to give the hosts the lead just before the hour mark when he raced onto Lowe's flick-on but his low drive was repelled by the legs of Cracknell.
The loose ball eventually fell to Brooksby but the midfielder's drive from outside the area went wide.
City then made their first substitution of the night by bringing on Dylan Mottley-Henry for Marshall.
Guiseley were threatening again shortly after the winger's arrival but Cracknell was on hand again to make a save after the ball fell into the path of home replacement Nicky Boshell deep inside the area.
With more and more changes entering the fray at this stage for both sides, City brought on French trialist Billal Qsiyer for James.
Guiseley themselves had made three subs by this stage but their introductions didn't dampen the hosts' threat to City's goal.
Nicky Boshell played the ball through to Lowe for another opening for Guiseley but, on the stretch, the Lions' full back poked the ball narrowly wide of Cracknell's far post.
In response, Drury's in-swinging cross was headed narrowly wide by Qsiyer for the Bantams.
The delivery would be Drury's last action of the game as the winger, Lewis and trialist McAusland were all replaced by apprentice duo Niah Payne, Kesi Omolokun and trialist Nicky Walker.
Shortly after their arrival, they were helpless to prevent Boyes from netting his second of the night seventeen minutes from the end when he stole in towards the far post to tap home Nicky Boshell's cross from close range.
The Bantams made it seven changes for the night when Fotheringham and Wright were replaced by apprentice midfielders Xander McBurnie and Daniel Devine nine minutes from the end.
Seven changes then became eight when another apprentice, Luca Mellor, came on for Saunders with five minutes to go.
In the final minute of normal time, Payne did have an opportunity to snatch a late equaliser when he raced on Walker's pass but a recovering Lockwood was on hand to put him off and the young forward could only scuff wide.
CITY XI
1. Joe Cracknell
2. Luke Hendrie
3. Greg Leigh
5. Mark McAusland
6. Steve Saunders
7. Adam Drury
8. Sam Wright
9. Luke James
4. Mark Fotheringham
11. Mark Marshall
14. Jon Lewis
City substitutes:
12. Chandler Hallwood
16. Dylan Mottley-Henry
17. Nicky Walker
18. Niah Payne
19. Billal Qsiyer
21. Luca Mellor
20. Daniel Devine
22. Kesi Omolokun
23. Xander McBurnie
Substitutions:
Mottley-Henry for Marshall (61), Qsiyer for James (65), Payne for Lewis (71), Omolokun for McAusland (71), Walker for Drury (71), McBurnie for Fotheringham (81), Devine for Wright (81). Mellor for Saunders (85)