BRADFORD CITY AFC

Wednesday 20 November 2013
F.A Youth Cup Round 2
Morecambe 1 (Woods 55)
Bradford City 3 (Brennan 5, O McBurnie 7, 43)
Kick Off: 7.00pm
at the Globe Arena

The Bantams booked a third round date at home to Millwall in the F.A Youth Cup thanks to a comfortable victory at Morecambe.

Three first half goals from City's apprentices was enough to secure victory in the second round contest against the Shrimps at a bitterly cold and windy Globe Arena.

Jack Stockdill, who missed City's first round win over Scunthorpe United last month due to suspension, skippered the side, while top scorer Oliver McBurnie was also picked in attack following his recent first team involvement.

With Bantams boss Phil Parkinson watching from the stands, it was McBurnie's strike-partner for the night, Joe Brennan, who gave City a dream start to the contest in only the fifth minute.

After seeing a blocked strike from Sam Wright fall into his path inside the area, Brennan made no mistake with the rebound by firing past Morecambe 'keeper Will Kitchen with a downward half-volley that bounced up off the turf and into the corner.

Not to be out-done, however, McBurnie himself was on the scoresheet less than two minutes later when he beat Morecambe's offside trap.

Latching onto a forward pass from Stockdill, McBurnie strode towards goal before expertly slotting past Kitchen for his eighteenth goal of the season.

After setting up McBurnie's goal, Stockdill came close to grabbing one of his own just past the half hour mark with a drive from distance that whistle narrowly wide of the target.

Morecambe's best chance of the opening period came three minutes from the break when Tom Woods sent a glancing header goalwards from a wide free-kick delivery by Alex Naylor.

Woods' header from inside the area hand plenty of pace on it but Jack Bentley was perfectly-positioned to claim the ball.

There was still time in the half for the Bantams to increase their lead even further when Brennan and McBurnie combined for the latter's second of the night.

Brennan's teasing cross into the box was initially blocked by Morecambe defender Kyle Lewis but the loose ball fell nicely for McBurnie, who slotted past Kitchen from close range.

The Bantams enjoyed the first opening of the second period around ten minutes after the break when Wright muscled Aaron McGowan off the ball before teeing up Dylan Mottley-Henry just inside Morecambe's area.

The winger's rising drive was well-struck but it sailed narrowly over Kitchen's bar.

Despite City still looking in control of proceedings at this stage, it was actually Morecambe who troubled the scorers next with their first goal of the night barely seconds after Mottley-Henry's chance.

Woods reduced City's lead by one in spectacular fashion when he sent a fine looping half-volley from outside the area past Bentley's despairing dive and into the far corner.

The Bantams nearly restored their three-goal lead less than ten minutes later, however, when McBurnie was denied his hat-trick only by a close range block.

Stockdill's shot from a tight angle by Kitchen's near post was pushed out by the 'keeper as far as the lurking McBurnie, who fired for goal around twelve yards out with a first time effort.

With Kitchen grounded, the ball looked like it could be heading for goal until it hit the back of Tyler Bowman just in front of the line and bounced away for a corner.

Morecambe were the next to go close in the tie just before the seventy-minute mark. Substitute Danny Green's low curling effort from outside the area was repelled by Bentley but fellow Morecambe replacement, Nathan Iniabere, was looking to pounce only yards out.

Luckily for City though, Iniabere couldn't get a clean connect on the ball when a close range tap-in looked possible and the Bantams eventually clearly their lines despite the hosts' best efforts.

Iniabere was on the end of another promising opening for Morecambe with less than ten minutes to play but he sent a free header over following Naylor's cross into the middle.

Five minutes from the end, Callum Chippendale nearly claimed City's fourth of the night but his direct free-kick from distance rattled the bar.

Chippendale had another chance to get himself on the scoresheet when he burst through Morecambe's defences with a surging run.

The midfielder tried to complete the run in style as he drove into the host's penalty area but he could only lift his effort over the bar.

Bradford City starting line up
Bentley, Jenkinson, Pollard, Heaton, King, Chippendale, Wright, Stockdill (c), O McBurnie, Brennan, Mottley-Henry

Subs: Barker (GK), X McBurnie, Cissa, Webb-Foster, Devine

Bradford City cautions:
O McBurnie (31)

Bradford City changes:
Webb-Foster for Mottley-Henry (81), X McBurnie for Wright (88)