Bradford Park Avenue 0, Bradford City 7 - The referee and linesmen sat in the Horsfall Stadium bar after the rain-drenched friendly debating the final score.

The Bradford derby had seen an avalanche of goals from the escapologist Bantams, but the officials had lost count towards the end.

After persuasion from the Press they settled for seven and said they were delighted to have been part of the historic game.

The pitch held up surprisingly well as the heavens opened and washed-out any hope of the festival of celebrations that were expected on the terraces.

But to a huge roar out ran the City players, delighted to be playing and clearly safe in the knowledge that they could now work towards the Wolves game that kicks off their Division One campaign.

And it wasn't long before the game exploded into life.

The impressive Andy Gray began tormenting down the wings while another trialist Paul Evans also looked a threat.

The tackles began flying in, from Avenue's Dean Martin particularly, as the importance of the game became clear.

But after 24 minutes the commanding City side took the lead with Andy Tod leaping like a Scottish salmon to nod home the first of the night.

The celebrations on the pitch matched those at Valley Parade earlier in the day and Nicky Law's touchline snarling could temporarily abate.

Evans got involved in a bit of shoving after another clattering challenge by the off-key Martin as a tired and frustrated Avenue began to be outclassed.

A draining trip to Doncaster Rovers the night began to take its toll, with the visitors taking the game out of reach after 49 minutes with Gray mopping up after good work by the powerful Gus Uhlenbeek.

Avenue waited until the 53rd minute before grabbing their first corner but it soon became a procession with the Division One side knocking the ball about with an air of confidence of which Law will have been proud after so little game time.

A beautiful looping header from Tod made it three and eight minutes later it was hat-trick time, the giant striker latching on to a deflected cross from Juanjo and firing home from close range.

The cheers got bigger as Eoin Jess, expected to move to the City Ground for the new season, hit an inch-perfect cross-field ball into the path of Uhlenbeek who slid it across for Michael Standing to redirect.

Livewire Danny Cadamarteri then swung in a cross for Jess to sidefoot on the volley past the new reserve keeper who had just arrived on the field.

Tod then powered home a remarkable fourth from an Andy Myers cross and it was all over.

Martin was then substituted on the referee's advice for a bit of unnecessary nonsense but that was nowhere near enough to spoil the City survival party.

Avenue: Armstrong (Larkham), Winder (Daly), James, Martin (Wharton), Painter, Mitchell, Holmes (Lindley), Benn, Hayward, Maxwell, Calcutt.

City: Walsh, Molenaar (Uhlenbeek), Wetherall, Myers, Emanuel (Bower), Gray (Jess), Locke (Juanjo), Kearney (Jorgensen), Evans (Standing), Tod, Cadamarteri.