Crewe 2, Bradford City 1

With Bradford City two goals behind inside the opening 18 minutes, this looked like being another 'Nightmare on Gresty Road' for the Bantams.

Last season, Paul Jewell's side crashed to a humiliating 5-0 defeat and a repeat of that horror show looked a distinct possibility last night.

City were simply pathetic in the opening 35 minutes with a lack of understanding and imagination allowing Crewe to dominate.

However a goal from Stuart McCall transformed the game and City should have gone on to win by a clear margin against a young home side who looked to have no answer to the Bantams' constant probing.

But, yet again, some woeful finishing cost City dear and left their fans with a distinct feeling of deja-vu.

Crewe rarely managed to get out of their own half in the final 45 minutes with McCall and Gareth Whalley taking control of the centre of the field alongside Jamie Lawrence.

And yet despite enjoying territorial dominance, City could not grab that elusive second goal.

Striker Lee Mills was the major guilty party on a night he will want to forget as he wasted two clear openings when it appeared easier to score during that second half.

First, the ball fell to the £1 million signing just five yards out two minutes after the break but he somehow managed to blaze it wide.

And then the striker had a fine opening at the back post only to again find his chance off target.

Having said that, all the blame for this defeat cannot be placed on the 28-year-old's shoulders as City should never have been two goals behind in the first place.

The last-gasp equaliser against Bolton last Sunday should have left the City players in a positive frame of mind. Instead they were a shambles in the opening exchanges with the movement of the home side's midfield duo of Seth Johnson and James Collins leaving the City midfield chasing shadows.

It was no better at the back with both Darren Moore and Andy O'Brien being led a merry dance by Rodney Jack and another thrashing looked a real possibility.

Crewe's opener came after 12 minutes when McCall lost Collins as he ran into the penalty area and he squared the ball for Kenny Lunt to slot into the net.

Six minutes later, Johnson left the City midfield for dead before threading a fine pass for Collins and he ran on before rolling the ball past Gary Walsh.

Jack nearly made it 3-0 moments later but thankfully for another large away following, City improved dramatically once McCall had reduced the home side's lead after 38 minutes.

It was a superbly worked goal after Ashley Westwood's long cross was headed back across goal by Peter Beagrie for the former Scottish international to head his first City goal for more than ten years.

This heralded a transformation in the game as City, who had been decidedly second best until McCall's goal, took control.

Record signing Isaiah Rankin was well shackled by the home defence but with the midfield now belonging to the Bantams an equaliser looked a formality.

But the Bantams could not find that vital touch to earn themselves at least a point.

And that meant that a visibly wilting Crewe side were allowed to hold on to all three points and City now go into Monday's clash with high-flying Birmingham City with just one point from a possible 12.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.