City’s under-18s side got their first point of the 2019/20 season on the board, following a 1-1 opening-day draw at home to Huddersfield Town.
Despite dominating large parts of the encounter, the young Bantams were not able to tip their West Yorkshire rivals over and were made to settle for a share of the spoils.
City asserted their authority early on and nearly broke the deadlock inside the opening five minutes, through Kian Scales.
Left-back Dan Francis lifted a calculated ball into the path of Scales, only for the midfielder to see his effort strike the post and fall into the goalkeeper’s gloves.
The visitors created an opportunity of their own a couple minutes later as Town’s Ben Midgley tried an effort from range - forcing a smart stop from Tom Donaghy.
The first goal of the game went to the Terriers, coming straight after half-time following a loose Francis back-pass.
Donaghy and Huddersfield striker Midgley battled out a 50/50 ball with the attacker coming out on top and rolling into the empty net for 1-0.
Nevertheless, it did not take Mark Trueman’s men long to bounce back, levelling the score through Scales.
Charlie Wood unselfishly headed a cross down into the path of the onrushing man of the match, who thumped an effort into the back of the net to even matters.
The Bantams thought they had clinched all three points in the closing stages, but were denied by the offside flag.
Substitute Reece Staunton’s marauding run and pass found Connor Morris who kept his composure to slot home, however the linesman signalled to rule the effort out.
City applied heavy pressure in the dying embers but the away defence stood their ground to ensure both sides walked away with a point.
CITY: Tom Donaghy; Hayden Smethurst ©, Jorge Sikora (Reece Staunton 51’), Finn Cousin-Dawson, Daniel Francis; Olivier Sukiennicki, Kian Scales, Connor Shanks (Cole Roberts 79’); Harvey Rowe, Connor Morris (booked 85’), Charlie Wood. Subs (not used): Darryl Ombang (GK), Harvey Ormerod, Oliver Norman.
HUDDERSFIELD: Michael Roxburgh; Tom Bamford ©, Luke Daley, Josh Okpolokpo, Mustapha Olagunju (booked 20’); Josh Austerfield, Myles Bright, Ernaldo Krasniqi, Andre Edionhon; Ben Midgley (booked 18’), Darnel Baxter-Alleyne. Subs (not used): Bellagambi Giosue (GK), Robson Shipley, Luke Billam.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Kian Scales.