Manager Chris Hutchings believes last night's 7-2 triumph over Darlington in the Worthington Cup has driven the Southamp-ton defeat out of Bradford City's system.

Hutchings was delighted with his players' response to going bottom of the Premiership on Saturday as they thrashed their Division Three opponents with a superb display of attacking football. The win will put City in good heart for the much sterner test at West Ham on Saturday.

And Hutchings sees no reason why City cannot win the Worthington Cup and earn a UEFA Cup place as Leicester City did last season.

"We started well with three early goals and I was delighted with that," said Hutchings. "It would have been easy to sit back after that, but we had to push on and could have scored more.

"We can be on a hiding to nothing in these games and it was most important we took the chances we had. Darlington were sloppy at times, but we punished them."

Hutchings was delighted for Benito Carbone who scored two goals and laid on two others, though disappointed that he missed a penalty.

He said: "Beni is a quality player. It is just a matter of time before he starts taking his chances. He scored two goals from back passes although he had to have two bites at the cherry for the first one. He just wants to do well.

"But I was pleased that a couple of other players, like Gareth Grant and Gunnar Halle, scored goals as well. Gareth could have had three or four goals. All the team worked well."

City were missing two more injured players to add to their growing list of injuries.

Midfielder Lee Sharpe had to have stitches on the top of his foot after the Southampton match while defender David Wetherall is suffering from groin trouble.

Hutchings said: "If the match had been 24 hours later David might have been able to play, but there was no point in rushing him into last night's game."