Proudlock hat-trick sinks City

City were condemned to their third home defeat of the season as a hat-trick from Adam Proudlock put Wolves five points clear at the top of Division One.

The Bantams battled hard against the unbeaten leaders but for all their huffing and puffing managed only three genuine shots on target.

The loss left them ten points adrift of the summit and in danger of slipping right down into mid-table.

City reacted to the midweek Worthington Cup hammering at Watford by making four changes for the visit of the unbeaten league leaders.

Stuart McCall, Gareth Whalley and Gary Walsh were all back as expected. They came in for Lee Makel, Robbie Blake and Aidan Davison.

There was also a change at centre-half where Andy Myers dropped to the bench. But his place was surprisingly taken by Andy Tod rather than Robert Molenaar who returned from a one-game ban but had to settle for a substitute place.

City manager Jim Jefferies was also back at Valley Parade having spent four days in Scotland following the death of his father.

City won a corner after 45 seconds conceded by Colin Cameron, Jefferies' former captain at Hearts. But Gareth Whalley's kick sailed straight into Michael Oakes' arms.

Eoin Jess lined up on the right of a four-man midfield with City perhaps wary of exposing Gunnar Halle to the pace of Wolves winger Mark Kennedy.

But Kennedy got a dangerous cross in after five minutes from Adam Proudlock's lay-off. It dropped to Shaun Newton beyond the far post whose drive took a slight deflection for a corner which City survived.

City had a scare of their own making in the tenth minute when Halle chested a harmless ball away from the waiting Gary Walsh and was forced to clear hurriedly from just in front of goal.

Carbone showed good close control to take a flick-on from Ward just inside Wolves territory and then release Jess on the wing but Lee Naylor was alert to the potential danger.

Most of the Wolves threat came from Kennedy and the Republic of Ireland international swung in another good ball which David Wetherall headed away from his own six-yard box. Wetherall was there again when Newton's cross from the right looked for the marauding Blake.

At the other end, McCall's angled header from Gary Locke's throw-in got Jess clear of Naylor and the near-post cross was just taken off Ward's boot by former City trainee Paul Butler at the expense of a corner that came to nothing.

There was little pattern to the game and on the half-hour, the erratic action was summed up by Blake's ambitious half-volley from 25 yards that flew 15 rows back in the Carlsberg Stand.

The Bantams forced a third corner after 33 minutes. This time Locke took it and while intended target Tod missed, Carbone was behind him with a flick header that wasn't too far away.

Proudlock received the first yellow card for a late challenge on Halle right under the nose of referee Paul Danson.

Finally Wolves conjured the first genuine threat with a free-kick in the 39th minute after Tod fouled Blake to the right of the D. Kennedy lolloped up to take it before swinging a dipping left-footer towards the bottom corner where Walsh tipped it round the post. The keeper then made a far easier save from Proudlock's daisy-cutter.

As the interval approached, Ward so nearly broke the deadlock after a good link-up between Carbone and McCall. The striker's shot was deflected just wide and having won another corner, Wetherall nodded wide from Tod's knockback.

Wolves responded with a Naylor cross which Cameron drove at Walsh - before grabbing the lead.

Blake found space on the right and although Walsh parried his effort with a good save, the rebound presented PROUDLOCK with a simple tap-in for his first goal of the season.

HT: City 0 Wolves 1

City needed an instant spark when the second half began and almost got it. Whalley intercepted a loose Wolves pass and teed up Carbone for a 20-yarder which Oakes finger-tipped over his bar.

Jess prompted another raid but that was wasted by Carbone's attempt to go through Joleon Lescott rather than lay the ball off to his supporting team-mates.

Halle showed great control to keep a high clearance from Wetherall in play as City showed their determination to fight back.

Jess won City's ninth corner after 55 minutes which Wetherall headed wide through a crowd of players. It was a bright response from the Bantams to their setback right on the interval although Jacobs needed to be alert to scoop away another dangerous ball across the goalmouth from Kennedy.

Ward, who had already been spoken to, tried the referee's patience once too often in the 59th minute and picked up the game's second booking.

In the 63rd minute Carbone fell to the ground after appearing to be caught in the throat by Muscat's elbow. A free-kick was given but no action taken against the Australian.

Carbone had the chance to exact proper revenge from another free-kick bang in front of the Wolves goal but he wasted it by shooting too high.

But City were getting closer and almost struck in the 66th minute. Jess swapped passes with Carbone on the right flank before whipping in a low ball for Whalley only to be denied by Newton.

Locke was booked for a foul on Proudlock with 15 minutes to go - his fifth yellow card which means the Scottish midfielder will miss the Watford game in a fortnight.

From the free-kick, the ball fell to Cameron 30 yards out who drove low and hard towards the City goal. The ball took a deflection off PROUDLOCK and beat Walsh in the bottom corner.

City now had a mountain to climb and their task would have been worse if Walsh hadn't got a strong fist to a cross-shot from Newton.

But Wolves were not finished and within two minutes were 3-0 up as PROUDLOCK completed his hat-trick, sweeping home a cross from Newton.

That prompted an exodus of home fans as the travelling 3,000 Wolves contingent celebrated stretching their lead at the top of the division.

Robbie Blake drove straight at Oakes - only the second City shot on target - but a comeback was now well beyond the home team.

In the four minutes of added time, Ward almost got one back but flashed a header wide from Locke's cross.