Attendance: 970
at the Coral Windows Stadium
Kick Off: 7.00pm
Millwall 3 (Pavey 45, Rylah 69, Onyedinma 90+2)
Bradford City 0
F.A Youth Cup Third Round
Tuesday 17 December 2013
City's under 18's fell to an unfortunate defeat at the hands of their counterparts from Millwall to send them out of the F.A Youth Cup at the third round stage.
The loss - played out in front of nearly one thousand fans at a chilly Coral Windows Stadium - was the first of the season for City's apprentices. They had previously gone sixteen league and cup games unbeaten at the start of this campaign.
Despite enjoying the better of the play in the first period, Alfie Pavey's opener on the stroke of half-time undeservedly sent the Bantams in at the break behind.
Goals from wingers John-Prince Rylah and Fred Onyedinma after the interval during a more even second period sealed the tie in favour of the visiting Lions.
As mentioned, City made most of the running in the early exchanges and created the vast majority of chances during an impressive opening half an hour from the Bantams youngsters.
City skipper Jack Stockdill did receive a booking, however, for a late challenge on Ritchie Danquae seven minutes before half-time.
After leading from the front during most of the opening period though, City harshly found themselves behind in the final minute of the half.
Defender James King's attempted back-pass to 'keeper Jack Bentley was unfortunately under-hit, allowing Pavey to run onto the ball and slot past Bentley inside the area right on the stroke of half time.
Pavey then turned provider in the second period when he played Rylah in with a sight of goal and the winger finished high into the net from around ten yards out in the 69th minute.
Youth team boss Steve Thornber made changes shortly after Millwall's second with attackers Reece Webb-Foster and Joe Brennan being brought on.
Millwall were reduced to ten men with just over eight minutes to go when skipper Sid Nelson was given his second bookable offence for a foul on Nathan Curtis.
The red card came during a slightly heated period in the game with sections of the sizeable home support clearly not happy with some of the tackling on show from the visitors.
City's third and final change came with four minutes to go when Sam Wright was replaced by Danny Devine.
The Bantams pushed hard for a way back into the contest right into injury time but, with a number of bodies forward on one particular attack, they were caught on the break.
Onyedinma led the breakaway as he strode forward on goal before slotting past Bentley to put an unfair gloss on the scoreline.
CITY TEAM
Bentley, Hepworth, King, Pollard, Heaton, Mottley-Henry, Wright, Stockdill, Curtis, Chippendale, McBurnie
Subs: Barker, Jenkinson, Brennan, Webb-Foster, Devine
City changes:
Webb-Foster for Mottley-Henry (73), Brennan for Hepworth (73), Devine for Wright (86)