City Under-18s returned to the top of the EFL Youth Alliance North East Division after seeing off Burton 1-0 in an impressive performance on home soil.
A late strike from young trialist Connor Morris was enough to seal the points, with City returning to winning ways after only a second league loss of the season at Grimsby last time out.
The first half was a cagey affair where both Morris and Raeece Ellington went close.
But the hosts upped the tempo after the break, with Burton goalkeeper Nathan Smith getting down well to deny substitute Wade Ripley.
The young Bantams left it late on a difficult pitch but broke the deadlock with 79 minutes on the clock.
Jeremie Milambo broke into the area and hit the post from a tight angle, but Morris was in the right place at the right time to bury the rebound.
City saw the final 10 minutes out to wrap up a clean sheet and victory against a Burton side who had scored 14 goals in their past four games.
Mark Trueman’s side are now a point clear at the top of the table, with a game in hand over all three of their closest title rivals.
They will host a friendly against i2i Academy next week, before returning to league action away at bottom-placed Huddersfield on February 9.
CITY: Alfie Darke; Hayden Smethurst, Finn Cousin-Dawson, Reece Staunton, Jeremie Milambo; Jake Maltby, Raeece Ellington; Kielen Adams (Wade Ripley 41’), Matt Birchall (Jorge Sikora 82’), Christian Farrar; Connor Morris. SUBS (not used): Dan Francis.
GOALS: Morris (79’).
BURTON: Nathan Smith; Cael McDonnell, Tom Armitage, Regan Ganley, Nathan Morley; Noaman Mallass (Kyle Clamp 74’), Ethan Vale, James Melhado (Ciaran Gilligan 58’), Jack Holmes (Tyo Carter 51’); Jack Bromfield, Tom Hewlett. SUBS (not used): Emmanuel Shittu, Ben McLean.
GOALS: None.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Connor Morris.