Bradford City bowed out from the Premiership with their first away point for four months after battling to a goalless draw at relegation companions Coventry this afternoon.

City were stretched to the limit by injuries but hung in to reward the travelling fans who sung from the first whistle to the last.

Stuart McCall was surprisingly named in City's final Premiership starting line-up even though he had not trained since twisting his knee in the 6-1 mauling at Leeds.

The skipper's inclusion was a lift for boss Jim Jefferies whose squad was down to the bare bones because of injuries. Eoin Jess was ruled out with a stomach strain while Elland Road absentees Gary Walsh and Robert Molenaar were still injured.

Gary Locke came in for Jess while Robbie Blake was recalled in place of Jamie Lawrence who was in international action for Jamaica against Barbados.

City's bench betrayed the lack of depth available to the manager. None of the substitutes had started a Premiership match.

For the first time in three seasons, City went into the final game of the season with nothing to play for other than pride. But that needed rebuilding after the embarrassment suffered at the hands of their neighbours six days earlier.

The attitude of the players was clear as soon as they ran out before kick-off and headed straight for the corner of 1,200 away fans, who were in good voice as they greeted the team with a hail of claret and amber balloons.

McCall began in defence as City started with the three centre-back formation they had used to stem the tide in the second half at Leeds.

They were immediately on the attack as Ian Nolan fed Ashley Ward on the right of the Coventry box. The big striker turned inside Paul Williams before driving at the legs of keeper Chris Kirkland.

Williams brought down Ward in a dangerous position 20 yards out after six minutes. The City fans chanted for Carbone but the Italian's curling free-kick was too high.

Gunnar Halle then fouled John Hartson midway inside City's half but Gavin Strachan's shot flew harmlessly wide. And another free-kick from Moustapha Hadji gave Aidan Davison a simple first save.

City survived Coventry's first corner in the 12th minute but it needed an important header from Halle to keep out a Marc Edworthy cross from the resulting throw-in.

Carbone's skills came to the fore as he wriggled past two defenders in a move started by Nolan and Gary Locke. Carbone worked the ball back to Blake who took a couple of clever touches before firing low at Kirkland.

Nolan launched another attack with a charging run before picking out Carbone wide on the right. He again ghosted past Barry Quinn but Edworthy managed to clear unconvincingly.

City were looking the livelier side although Coventry flashed a warning when Lee Carsley engineered a counter which ended with Davison gathering from Hadji at his near post.

The keeper was called into more demanding action after 19 minutes to fend away a swerving effort from Ysrael Zuniga. Davison batted the corner out for another before Hadji headed Strachan's kick wide.

Coventry's other Moroccan Youssef Chippo was rightly booked for a late lunge at Gareth Whalley.

Carbone was popping up everywhere and Kirkland had to be smartly off his line to smother at Ward's feet from the Italian's through pass.

City were getting numbers forward and Locke hassled to win a free-kick from the disinterested Chippo. Again, the shooting sights were wayward as Wayne Jacobs drove into the crowd.

Davison nicked the ball off Zuniga's toes from Edworthy's pass before Carbone tried his luck with a curler just a few inches too high.

Andy Myers, having a tidy game at the back, pushed up after 38 minutes to find Ward whose knockdown was driven wide on the half-volley by Whalley.

But City had an escape four minutes before half-time when Myers tried to clear Hadji's lob but only flicked it into the path of the marauding Hartson. Luckily, Davison grabbed the ball before the Welshman could react inside the six-yard box.

HT: Coventry 0 Bradford 0

Coventry brought on Calum Davenport for his senior debut for Williams at the start of the second half and threatened inside the first minute as Hartson headed straight at Davison from Hadji's free-kick.

Myers was yellow-carded as Coventry continued to press. He fouled Chippo and from the free-kick, Davison was at full stretch to tip wide before catching Davenport's header from Strachan's corner.

Coventry tried to turn the screw by winning their seventh corner but City again coped as Davenport's header lacked any power.

Davison produced a reaction save to deny Chippo after 56 minutes. Hartson appeared to handle in the build-up before laying the ball off to the Moroccan whose first-time volley cannoned away off the keeper's legs.

Coventry were getting closer and 30 seconds later Lee Carsley teed up Zuniga for a fierce right-footer that shaved Davison's bar.

City finally won a corner in the 59th minute but Whalley's skimming right-wing kick was ushered away by Richard Shaw.

The Bantams thought they should have had another four minutes later as Carbone received Locke's quickly-taken free-kick and his early shot looked to touch Kirkland's finger tips.

Referee Alan Wiley was not convinced and was just as unmoved by two Coventry penalty shouts in the space of 30 seconds, with Jacobs' tackle on Strachan right on the edge looking the closest.

As Gordon Strachan barked instructions from the touchline, Hartson turned Myers to fire across the goalmouth.

Another City corner failed to deliver but the supporters were still going strong with a permanent chant of Jimmy Jefferies' Bradford Army.

Jacobs stayed down after a challenge but was able to continue after a couple of minutes - only for Halle to pick up a knock in a clash with Zuniga. He too soldiered on as City's patched-up defence continued to frustrate, much to the delight of their noisy fans.

Myers was working particularly hard and won another big header over Hartson as another home corner was seen off. Then a great covering tackle frustrated the Welshman after a miskick by Halle had given him some daylight.

Myers was up at the other end with 13 minutes remaining to meet Carbone's free-kick from the right but he was unable to get over the header.

Referee Alan Wiley rejected another penalty shout after Nolan appeared to push Zuniga before both sides made attacking substitutions. City brought on Gareth Grant for Blake while Jay Bothroyd replaced Chippo for Coventry.

With seven minutes left, Scott Kerr was given his chance as he took over from Nolan.

In the 89th minute, Grant nearly nicked it when he stole in with a near-post shot that Kirkland blocked.