RYAN Farrell was proud of his City side after their 3-1 defeat to Chelsea in the FA Youth Cup.

The young Bantams battled hard against their Category One hosts at Kingstonian - and scored through a sublime free-kick from Isaac Robinson.

Chelsea clinched the third-round tie with goals by Tudor Mendel-Idowu, Leo Castledine and Zain Silcott-Duberry.

But City lead professional development phase coach Farrell thought the underdog visitors acquitted themselves well.

“It was a great experience for us, to play against a side with that quality,” he told the club website.

“We competed for large spells, especially in the first half. We controlled possession, which is our identity, and that is something we want to do.

“To do it against an academy like Chelsea is rewarding for us as staff and rewarding for the players, to know that they can compete at this level.”

Castledine converted from a right-wing cross to give Chelsea the lead on 18 minutes - which they quickly doubled as the captain fed Mendel-Idowu on a counter-attack to round keeper Thomas Myles and score.

But the Bantams responded on the half hour in superb fashion as Robinson curled a free-kick into the top corner.

Chelsea made it 3-1 after 70 minutes when Michael Golding caught out Myles and squared across goal for Silcott-Duberry to tap in.

City had a great chance to narrow the deficit at the end after Nathan Tinsdale sent Robinson bursting through one-on-one with Ted Curd. But the keeper denied him a second goal with an outstretched leg.

Farrell added: “We scored a fantastic free-kick through Isaac, but with the one-on-one, he will be disappointed.

“I thought we looked a threat from set-pieces and we have worked on them a fair bit. But we could have done better in the moments we conceded.

CITY: Myles, Breaks, Kamga, N Tinsdale, Bentley, N Wadsworth, Robinson, Jeffers, Kamwa, J Tinsdale, G Wadsworth.