BRADFORD CITY AFC

On a rain-soaked afternoon, Liddle capped off a dominant first period display from Parkinson's men by heading home Tony McMahon's wide free-kick delivery on the stroke of half time.

With City continuing to look the stronger of the two sides after the break, Clarke made sure of the points just before the hour mark when he danced into a shooting position deep inside the box before beating Crewe 'keeper Ben Garratt at his near post from a tight angle.

City's margin of victory could have been greater, with James Hanson going close on three occasions, McMahon firing a free-kick narrowly wide and Clarke and Reid also threatening with efforts.

After Clarke's second half strike, Crewe's Bradden Inman saw an effort rattle the bar and team-mate Ryan Colclough had a close range strike bravely blocked by Stephen Darby but City still ran out deserved victors.

Before kick off, Frenchman Christopher Routis laid a wreath in the centre circle as the whole of the Coral Windows Stadium fell silent to pay their respects to the victims of the recent Paris terror attacks.

90+3min: Cole bursts into space down City's right flank before driving into the box and forcing Garratt to push his drive around the near post for a corner.

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

88min: SUB - The Bantams bring on Christopher Routis for Knott.

85min: Turton and Inman have shots blocked on the edge of the box before Wintle fires comfortably over the bar from a similar distance.

83min: Hanson sends a looping header over following McMahon's hanging cross towards the far post.

80min: SUBS - The Bantams bring on Devante Cole and Mark Marshall for Billy Clarke and Reid.

79min: SUB - Crewe bring on Ryan Wintle for Adam King.

77min: As the ball drops invitingly into the path of Colclough deep inside the box, Darby makes a vital block to deny the Crewe man a shot on goal from close range. The ball drops into the path of Inman a far seconds later and his curling effort from the edge of the box drops just wide of Williams' far post.

75min: After being fed by Hanson, Billy Clarke tries to curl an effort into the far top corner with a strike inside the box but the effort sails over.

74min: Billy Clarke's cross into the box is initially met by Hanson but his sliced effort drops into the path of Reid, who sees his shot blocked behind for a corner.

73min: Hanson glances a header a couple of yards wide of Garratt's far post following McMahon's free-kick delivery from wide.

69min: SUBS - Crewe bring on Chris Atkinson and Stephen Kingsley for Bingham and Guthrie.

69min: Reid receives the ball from Billy Clarke before firing in a drive from just inside the box that crashes into the side-netting by Garratt's near post.

64min: Saunders feeds Inman and the attacker's drive from just outside the box rattles against Williams' bar!

64min: From around 25 yards out, McMahon curls a direct free-kick narrowly wide of Garratt's near post.

62min: Saunders nearly finds himself through with a clear run of goal as the ball bounces kindly for him but McArdle makes a vital interception and Williams can gather up the loose ball.

61min: Oliver Turton finds Colclough in the area and the attacker's rising drive from an angled is pushed around his near post by Williams.

55min: Billy Clarke's cross-come-shot flashes across Garratt's goal and eventually out for a throw-in over on the far side.

54min: Ryan Colclough turns inside Darby but his low drive from an angle inside the area isn't cleanly struck and Williams can easily gather.

53min: Reid's in-swinging cross looks to be heading towards Billy Clarke for him to gobble up from close range but Ray gets a vital touch on the ball and it bounces through to Garratt.

50min: Hanson's low drive from outside the area is comfortable enough for Garratt to gather up.

46min: Crewe restart the match.

45min: There will be two minutes of time added on at the end of the first half.

45min: Reid's driving run into the area eventually sees the winger pull the ball back from the byline towards the lurking Clarke. The Irishman stretches to reach the ball but his stab for goal on his right foot rolls just wide of Garratt's far post.

40min: Hanson attacks McMahon's resulting corner delivery with purpose but he heads a yard or so over the bar.

40min: McMahon's flighted ball into the box from a deep free-kick is headed across goal by McArdle. Hanson tries to latch onto the ball before it does into the path of Gary Liddle, who sees an acrobatic effort on the volley deflect over the bar for a corner.

38min: City go close again from the resulting corner! McMahon's delivery is inches away from both Rory McArdle and Hanson before the ball is cleared out as far at the lurking Billy Knott around the edge of the box. Knott's well-struck left-footed drive is goal-bound but it is pushed away by Garratt.

37min: Close from Hanson again! A short-worked corner from City eventually sees Knott clip the ball into the box from a central position. McArdle heads the ball down into the mix and Hanson then sees his effort on the bounce deflect narrowly wide of Garratt's near post. 

32min: Guthrie is down receiving treatment for a blow to the head as he challenged Nathan Clarke for McMahon corner delivery. Crewe's defenders certainly have been in the wars so far this first half, with Guthrie himself already suffering a bloody nose and Nugent needing a head bandage following his clash with Hanson at the very start of the game. Guthrie, who is wearing a blank shirt because of the earlier whack to his nose, is now back on the pitch as play continues again.

26min: A quick corner from City sees McMahon flight over a teasing left-footed cross that a well-placed Jon Guthrie has to head away from right in front of his own goal.

22min: A long throw-in from Nathan Clarke causes some concern in the Crewe box. With the ball bouncing around the area, Kyel Reid has a shot on the turn that is deflected off Ray before being pushed away by Garratt.

20min: Billy Knott sends over an in-swinging cross after running and charging down an attempted Nugent clearance. Hanson attacks the cross but his header from around eight yards out sails narrowly over the bar.

19min: George Ray flicks on a Crewe free-kick from deep into the box but the defender's header bounces just in front of Saunders and Nugent before going out 

9min: Inman's fizzing strike from just outside the box is parried away by the left arm of Ben Williams as the effort swerves in the air.

7min: So close from Hanson! McMahon's driving strike from just inside the box is parried by Ben Garratt, giving Billy Clarke the chance to pounce on the loose ball. Clarke fires the ball low across the six yard box but Hanson's poke for goal from close range rolls narrowly wide of Crewe's near post.

6min: Leading a dangerous Crewe counter-attack, Bradden Inman runs at Darby before fizzing the ball into the box. Callum Saunders tries to run onto the ball but the pass seems to simply hit the young attacker before bouncing out of play for a goal-kick.

5min: Tony McMahon fires the ball across the six yard box trying to find Billy Clarke but Nugent is well-placed to knock the ball behind for a corner.

3min: Hanson is now back on the pitch to help City defend the corner.

3min: With Hanson still off the pitch receiving treatment, Billy Bingham sees a drive from just outside the area deflect wide for a Crewe corner.

1min: James Hanson receives a blow to the back of his head after challenging in the air with Crewe defender Ben Nugent for Stephen Darby's forward pass almost direct from the kick off.

0min: The Bantams kick off the match. Phil Parkinson's men will attack towards the T.L Dallas Stand end in the first half.

3:02pm: An impeccable minute's silence is held around the Coral Windows Stadium to pay respects to the victims of the recent Paris terrorist attacks. Frenchman Christopher Routis also lays a wreath in the centre circle at the same time.

Williams, Darby, McArdle, N Clarke, Leigh, McMahon, Liddle, Knott, Reid, B Clarke, Hanson

Subs: Cracknell, Marshall, Routis, Mottley-Henry, Devine, James, Cole

Cole for B Clarke (80), Marshall for Reid (80), Routis for Knott (88)

Garratt, Turton, Ray, Nugent, Guthrie, King, Bingham, Jones, Inman, Colclough, Saunders

Subs: Nizic, Atkinson, Cooper, Kingsley, Baillie, Wintle, Ng

Atkinson for Bingham (69), Kingsley for Guthrie (69), Wintle for King (79)

Assistant Referee: R Atkin