City tasted defeat for the first time in the league this season as they came up short in their clash at Port Vale.
Goals from Lee Hughes and skipper Doug Loft either side of a Nahki Wells leveller for the Bantams proved enough to hand Vale their maiden victory of the season.
A poor back-pass from James Meredith a few minutes before the interval gifted Hughes the opportunity to fire the hosts in front before Wells responded for City with a close range finish in the second half.
The Bantams didn't remain on level terms for too long, however, as just eight minutes after Wells' equaliser, Loft fired Vale back in front with a deflected drive from the edge of the area.
City pushed hard for their second leveller of the game in the closing stages but, despite a few close shaves, they couldn't quite do enough to snatch another away point to add to their early season collection.
Despite a bright start from Phil Parkinson's men, it was the Valiants who would go on to have the better of the opening half.
Tom Pope squandered two decent headed chances midway through the first period, while Jon McLaughlin was called into making a smart double save to deny Hughes and Kaid Mohamed in close succession later in the half.
Although Vale were just about on top heading towards the interval, City looked set to make the break unscathed until a rare error of judgement from Meredith.
With Hughes lurking in the background, Meredith unknowingly played the ball into his path as the left back looked to move play back to McLaughlin.
Hughes jumped on the loose ball before slotting past a helpless City shot-stopper.
City improved after the break, however, and they were rewarded for their efforts when Wells netted his fourth goal of the season.
It was the Bermudian who started the attack that led to his goal when his shot from an angle was shoveled away by Vale 'keeper Chris Neal into the path on the on-rushing Garry Thompson.
Thompson drove for goal and while his shot was just about repelled by Neal, Wells was on hand to steer home the loose ball from inside the six yard box.
The goal helped Wells to continue his impressive run of scoring in every game of City's season so far. Going back to the final stages of last season, Wells has now actually scored in his last seven competitive fixtures and he has twelve goals in his last twelve games.
Wells' strike-partner James Hanson had to wear a cast on his left hand after damaging it in training on Friday.
All the momentium appeared to be with the Bantams at this stage of the contest after Wells' goal, with the pacey striker quick to threaten the Vale defence again on more than one occasion following his strike.
Just as it seemed like City would go onto push for a winner, however, Vale stuck back in front of the match Hughes kept a far post corner alive by playing the ball back to the waiting Loft.
Loft's effort for goal from just outside the area looked to be a strike McLaughlin could deal with until it flicked off the boot of Gary Jones to take the strike out of the shot-stopper reach and into his net.
City pressed Vale back into their own half in the final quarter of the match in an attempt to pick up their second equaliser of the afternoon, with Alan Connell, Raffaele De Vita and Kyel Reid all brought off the bench to try and help the Bantams' cause.
De Vita was at the end of a decent opening for City twelve minutes from the end when he saw two stabs at goal blocked away, but it was Reid who was probably involved in the best chance for City to snatch a point late on.
Driving into the area from a wide position, Reid saw a fierce drive deflect up and across goal, narrowly missed Neal's far post in the process with the 'keeper rooted.
FT: Port Vale 2 Bradford City 1
90+4min: SUB - Port Vale now bring on Anthony Griffith for Myrie-Williams.
90min: There will be five minutes of time added on at the end of the match.
90min: SUB - Port Vale bring on Louis Dodds for Hughes.
90min: Connell sees a header blocked following De Vita's cross into the area before Meredith fires wildly over the bar from around fourteen yards out on his weaker right foot.
88min: SUB - The Bantams make their final substitution of the afternoon by bringing on Alan Connell for Darby. Connell will play just behind Wells and Hanson as Bradford also revert to a back three.
86min: After beating Yates out on City's left flank, Reid surges forwards before fizzing in a fierce shot from an angle that takes a deflection before flashing across goal and out for a corner.
78min: Reid's far post cross finds De Vita. The Italian has two strikes on goal from a decent position inside the area, the first is blocked by a defender, the second by Neal.
76min: Jones' low cross into the area present Mohamed with a good chance to strike for goal but the winger fails to get a proper connection on the ball and City can eventually clear the danger.
74min: YELLOW CARD - Reid is booked for bringing down Myrie-Williams as the Vale winger looked to surge towards City's penalty area.
71min: SUBS - City make a double substitution by bringing on Raffaele De Vita and Kyel Reid for Thompson and Yeates respectively.
67min: GOAL - Port Vale 2 Bradford City 1 - The Bantams aren't on level terms for too long, however, as skipper Doug Loft drives the home side back into the lead. Hughes is in the right position to help a Vale corner back to the waiting Loft, who sees his strike from the edge of the area find the corner thanks to a deflection past McLaughlin.
66min: A long throw in from Chris Robertson is headed onto the roof of his own net by McArdle.
65min: Wells races past Dickinson to try and latch onto a delightful ball through by Yeates with the outside of his boot but Neal is out smartly to just about beat the Bermudian to the attempted pass.
62min: Wells low angled drive from around fourteen yards out inside the area is gathered up by Neal.
61min: Wells volleys wide by a yard or so following Jones' near post cross.
59min: GOAL!!!!!! Port Vale 1 Bradford City 1 - Wells has his fourth of the season as the Bantams draw level! Wells' initial shot for goal is shoveled away by Neal into the path of the lurking Thompson, who drives the ball back for goal with a volley. Thompson's effort seems to take a slight deflect as it pops into Wells' path and the Bermudian converts from inside the area.
57min: The City fans behind the ground scream for a penalty as Andrew Davies appears to be held inside the area when the defender tries to connect with a delivery from wide by Yeates from the resulting free-kick. Nothing is given, however, as play continues.
56min: YELLOW CARD - Carl Dickinson is booked for taking the legs of Wells around 25 yards from goal.
55min: A long throw-in into City's area causes a moment or two of concern in the Bantams defence but City eventually manage to scramble to ball behind for a corner after Pope had tried to get a strik in on goal.
54min: Thompson takes aim when he sees a Wells cross coming into his path just inside Vale's area but the winger's volley for goal is sliced a couple of yards wide of Neal's goal.
52min: A giant kick forward from McLaughlin is headed on by Hanson but Wells' volleyed effort from just outside the area sails way over.
51min: McLaughlin has to come deep into his area to beat Pope to a flick on from Mohamed otherwise the Vale striker would have been in on goal.
46min: Vale restart the match.
HT: Port Vale 1 Bradford City 0
45+2min: YELLOW CARD - Chris Lines is booked for catching Stephen Darby as the right back clears his lines midway into City's half.
45min: There will be two minutes of time added on at the end of the first half.
42min: GOAL - Port Vale 1 Bradford City - The Bantams shoot themselves in the foot by gifting Vale the opening goal of the game. Meredith's poor attempted back-pass to McLaughlin too short of the City 'keeper, allowing Hughes to race in on the ball and slot past a stunned shot-stopper.
40min: YELLOW CARD - Doug Loft is booked for a late lunge in on Doyle just inside Vale's own half of the pitch.
37min: CHANCE - A fine double save from McLaughlin keeps the scores level. McLaughlin is first called into action to produce a smart stop low by his near post to repel a fierce volley from Hughes from around the edge of the area. The danger isn't over, however, as Kaid Mohamed pounces on the loose ball but his effort from close range but McLaughlin spreads himself to block it behind.
28min: Pope heads over from about twelve yards out after arriving unmarked to connect with Adam Yates' looping cross into the area.
25min: Things get extremely heated on the pitch and in the dug-outs when McArdle and Lee Hughes tangle for the ball around the halfway line just in front of the main stand. There doesn't look to be too much in the incident but Hughes seems to be claiming that the Bantams defender has kicked out at him, leaving the home fans chanting for a red for McArdle. As referee Mr Carl Boyeson discusses the incident with one of his linesmen and the fourth official, there appears to be some angry verbal exchanges between members of the two dug-outs going on at the same time. When everything eventually calms down though, both McArdle and Hughes escape with only a talking to.
24min: The next promising opportunity in the match comes Vale's way when a quickly taken home free-kick ends up presenting Pope with a sight of goal. Jones is released into space down City's right flank thanks to a quick free-kick and his cross into the area finds Pope lurking by the far post. The striker steams in to attack the delivery but his header flies a yard or so wide of goal.
22min: A decent chance for James Hanson inside the area when a Yeates' flighted free-kick drops into his path. Thompson and Vale's Jones contest for Yeates' ball at the far post before it bounces into the direction of Hanson. The striker, who has his back to goal, is positioned only about eight yards out but his touch his poor and Vale can eventually clear.
19min: A blocked shot from Nahki Wells sees the ball pop up into the path of Gary Jones but the midfielder's looping volley for goal from just outside the area sails a good few yards over.
17min: Pope takes aim from distance, looking for the big half-volley on goal, but his connection is poor and his effort is sliced well wide. The effort actually goes away from goal, allowing James Meredith to pick up the loose ball and clear.
16min: Stretching to reach an inswinging cross from Jennison Myrie-Williams, Tom Pope can only head comfortably wide of Jon McLaughlin's far post from just inside the six yard box.
4min: Yeates' low corner into the area is flicked on by Garry Thompson but Rory McArdle just behind him can only send a looping header a couple of yards over the bar.
4min: Mark Yeates' free-kick from just wide of the corner flag is headed clear as far as the lurking Nathan Doyle just outside Port Vale's area. Doyle lets rip with a stunning volley that is motoring towards goal before it flicks off the head of a Vale player and behind for a corner. If Doyle's effort had managed to reach Chris Neal's goal, it would surely have seriously tested the Vale shot-stopper.
4min: City win a free-kick when Wells is upended by Daniel Jones by the near corner flag. The Vale left-back then seems to aim a little kick at the back of Wells while the Bermudian is on the ground but nothing is spotted by the officials.
0min: The Bantams kick off the match. They will defend the stand that houses their supporters in the first half. There certainly seems to be a noticeable wind blowing around Vale Park as the game gets underway.