Bradford City suffered their first pre-season setback as goals from Blackburn new boys Chicho Grabbi and Gordon Greer earned the Premiership visitors a win at Valley Parade this afternoon.

Benito Carbone was in impressive form for the Bantams in his first appearance in pre-season but the superior class of Rovers told in an entertaining encounter.

Ashley Ward missed training yesterday with a calf strain and he was not included in the City side to face his previous club.

In his place came Benito Carbone for his first pre-season outing - a sight not many fans would have expected at the end of the Premiership campaign.

Blackburn's starting line-up included their three summer signings Chicho Grabbi, Tugay and Gordon Greer.

Only two of the four sides at Valley Parade were open but City supporters had their first opportunity to sit in the new upper tier of the Sunwin Stand.

The two teams ran out to the traditional A Team theme as the tune for the new season was kept under wraps until next week's opening day against Barnsley.

Matt Jansen was Rovers' 24-goal top scorer in their promotion season and quickly showed why with a twisting run in the box. He got away from David Wetherall enough to drill in a shot which Gary Walsh grabbed at the second attempt.

City responded with a third-minute corner as Martin Taylor headed behind Gunnar Halle's cross. Wetherall won Gareth Whalley's right-hand kick but his header was cleared.

Grabbi, Blackburn's £6.75 million buy from Serie B club Ternana, and Jansen both had early efforts at the City goal but both curled harmlessly wide into the deserted Carlsberg Stand.

The livewire Jansen continued to pose problems and in the eighth minute took a Grabbi pass before clipping a shot against the top of the bar.

Carbone showed a flash of his skill to wriggle into room outside the left corner of the box. Whalley took his short pass and set up Eoin Jess but the Scot jabbed his side-footed first-timer wide.

But it was Blackburn who struck the opening blow after 14 minutes as a hesitation between Wetherall and Andy Myers cost City dear.

Stig Inge Bjornebye's pass was flicked on by Grabbi and as the two City centre-halves paused on the edge of the box, Damien Duff nipped through the gap. His shot was parried at full stretch by Walsh but the rebound ran loose to GRABBI to score his first goal for the club.

City hit back straight away and Whalley's pass was cushioned down by Jess for Carbone to send a dipping half-volley over the Rovers bar.

Keith Gillespie worked a neat one-two with Jansen to spark another Rovers raid but Grabbi drove high and wide.

At times City were finding it tough to win the ball as Blackburn advanced in neat passing movements with Duff and Gillespie prominent on both flanks. But Blake showed trickery of his own to flick the ball over Greer before shooting across goal.

Carbone looked encouragingly sharp and hungry in his first outing and the Italian's every touch drew generous applause from the fans.

Wetherall got forward for every setpiece and his near-post flick from Halle's throw-in in the 32nd minute was just over the head of intended target Blake.

Duff was giving Halle a rough ride whenever Blackburn attacked and he got away from the Norwegian again to cross for Jansen who tried an ambitious overhead kick wide.

Whalley produced City's best effort after 39 minutes with a low 20-yarder from Blake's pass, forcing Friedel into his first real save as the American plunged to his right.

Myers put Wetherall under pressure when he was caught in possession by Jansen. Wetherall, making only his second start since groin surgery, was at full stretch to make a crucial tackle as Jansen threatened to burst clear.

Gary Locke's cross from a short corner was cleared away and Stuart McCall whipped a ball straight into Friedel before the first half finished with Taylor smothering another Wetherall flick-on.

The second half began with a rain storm and a dangerous City attack down the left. Carbone was the creator with an inviting cross into the six-yard box where Whalley, with only the keeper to beat, was inches away from making contact. A taller man like Ward would surely have buried the chance.

Jansen was still a thorn in City's side and his power took him away from Wetherall and Myers before he slid a shot wide from an acute angle.

Walsh saved from Gary Flitcroft and needed to move smartly to his right to beat out a drive by Grabbi as Rovers pushed for a second goal.

Walsh was called into action when Blackburn forced a corner, Taylor heading low into the keeper's body from Gillespie's kick.

City made a triple change after 61 minutes, bringing on Lee Sharpe - although the PA announced him as new boy Claus Jorgensen - Gareth Grant and Robert Molenaar for McCall, Andy Myers and Robbie Blake.

Sharpe was immediately into the action as he tore down the left wing. His cross was beyond Carbone and when Locke retrieved it and swung the ball back into the box, Taylor was able to clear.

Taylor then popped up in the City six-yard box to head Gillespie's corner straight to Walsh.

Gillespie weaved his way in from the right touchline and cut inside Jacobs on the byline before chipping over a teasing cross which Wetherall headed out of danger.

Jim Jefferies brought on two more new faces with 13 minutes to go. Jorgensen appeared in place of Whalley and Peter Atherton took over from Halle.

Dunn forced a corner off Jacobs in the 79th minute and from it Blackburn increased their advantage.

The ball broke loose to Dunn who lobbed it back into the danger zone where GREER headed low past Walsh.

CITY: Walsh, Halle, Jacobs, McCall, Wetherall, Myers, Locke, Jess, Blake, Carbone, Whalley. Subs: Molenaar, Davison, Atherton, Sharpe, Jorgensen, Grant.

BLACKBURN: Freidel, Curtis, Bjornebye, Tugay, Taylor, Greer, Gillespie, Flitcroft, Grabbi, Jansen, Duff. Subs: Blake, Filan, Bent, Hughes, Dunn, Hignett, Berg.