Bradford Town 2 Yate Town 0

THERE was plenty for Yate Town manager Paul Britton to work on with his new charges as the Bluebells went down to a second pre-season friendly defeat inside a week.

This time second-half goals from Matt Morris and Kane Simpson saw Bradford Town, of the Toolsstation Westerrn League, beat a Yate side which could have had a handsome victory if onlly they had a markman to slot the ball home.

Take nothing away from the Bluebells. Britton played a number of his fringe players in this game.

Indeed, it was pretty even for much of the first-half although tall attacker Josh Morgan-Williams, in support of veteran Darren Edwards during that opening period, proved to be a thorn in the home side's central defence when he had possession.

Other positives included the fluid passing style Britton looks like bringing to Lodge Road this season, with the ball spread nicely wide on a lot of occasions and crosses played effectively into the danger zones.

In that respect, Yate did well and saw a couple of attempts heading towards the Bradford Town net but failing to get past the home keeper.

Morgan-Williams had a go from the edge of the penalty area on eight minutes but only saw the ball fly over the home bar.

Another chance, a free kick from Tray Anderson on the edge of the penalty area, went well over the top too.

But the best chance of the half for Yate saw Morgan-Williams play a nice ball across the penalty area to the centre of goal but Luke Bryan's shot was well blocked by the keeper.

It was not all one-way traffic, though, and Yate could have found themselves a goal down when a speculative ball from inside the Bradford half saw pressure put on advancing Yate keeper Kane Mannings.

He tried to head the ball clear with his central defenders at sixes and sevenes and with Bradford's sole attacker causing a bit of a flap. And when Bradford got the ball with Mannings well off his line and despertely trying to get back, Bryan was the saviour as he stood on the line and cleared a certain goal.

It was a narrow escape and there were two more before the half was out as twice Bradford got into the visiting goal area only to put simple chances wide of the target.

Yate powered back at the other end with a series of corners but a shot or header to trouble the home keeper was not there as the half finished goal-less.

Yet it was a header that was reminissent of Sam Voke's stunner for Wales in their 3-0 win over Russia at the Euros which nearly gave Yate the lead.

The ball was whipped into the box and Kyle Thomas rose to clip it underneath the crossbar only for the Bradford keeper to finger-tip the ball over for a corner.

An excellent ball to the far post form full back Tom Fry saw Morgan-Williams with a golden chance to plough the ball home but he could not find the target.

And the failure to score cost the Bluebells dear just after the hour when a free kick on the edge of their area saw Morris superbly bend the ball around the defensive wall and into the left corner of the net.

And to their credit, when Bradford had a go, they played some neat football but Yate had more than enough possession during the match to have run away with it if only they had some accrucacy in front of the net.

With two minutes left, Bradford sealed their deal when a bal into the box saw unmarked Simpson scuff the ball off his shin past Mannngs into the left corner.

Match fitness and not results, are the main purpose of early friendlies but Yate will be eager to start hitting the back of the net soon if only to give them some confidence as the new Evo-Stik Southern League Division One South and West approaches on the horizon.