BRADFORD City suffered a double FA Cup dumping at the weekend, with the women’s side seeing their thrilling run to the second round ended in emphatic fashion at Burnley.
The Clarets ladies play two divisions higher in the pyramid than the Bantams, so a comprehensive home win was always on the cards.
City were completely overwhelmed in the first half, going into the break 8-0 down.
They defended far more gamely in the second, but Burnley still made it into double figures, winning the game 11-0.
City had beaten Farsley Celtic, Chesterfield and Preston North End to reach this stage, but Burnley play in the third tier, so were an astronomically tougher proposition than that trio.
The Bantams are in good form in the fifth tier, and have risen up to fourth in the North East Regional Women’s Football League Premier Division, with at least one game in hand on all three sides above them.
Promotion is their primary aim this season, so Sunday’s FA Cup game was effectively a free hit for them, and they will hope to learn valuable lessons from their trip to Burnley.
Burnley were heavy favourites, but that does not take away from the fact that they were superb throughout this cup tie.
Grace Palmer broke through but blew a great chance for the hosts in the opening moments.
Team-mate Heidi Logan showed her how it was done, netting the opener after forcing an error.
She should really have doubled the lead after being played in behind by Laura Elford moments later, but failed to do so.
Elford did put the home side 2-0 up after 10 minutes, before Aimee Kelly was denied by City stopper Tiffany Whelan.
Reanna Blades touched on a cross for Elford to make it three, then provided another assist, as her precise cross found Isabella Reidford, who put her side 4-0 in front.
Elford completed her hat-trick on 34 minutes, with Naomi Hartley heading just wide for Burnley soon after.
Kelly set up Elford to crash in her fourth goal via the underside of the bar, with Kelly and Blades both getting on the scoresheet for the first time before the break.
Whelan made two astonishing saves around the hour mark as she bravely tried to keep the score down, denying both Elford and Palmer.
Hannah Markey took out Elford for a deserved yellow card, before Burnley finally made it 9-0 on 70 minutes.
Elford headed the ball home for her fifth goal of the game, before her side soon hit double figures.
Claudia Walker grabbed number 10, as her deflected shot wrong-footed Whelan and fond the net.
Logan opened the scoring and she rounded it off too, blasting the ball home after cutting inside.
Charlie Chadwick almost made it a delightful dozen on her Burnley debut, but her overhead kick went just wide with a minute to go.
The Bantams are back in league action this Sunday, with a crucial game at third-placed Alnwick Town Juniors.
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